Picture Perfect
by JoFoxx
Summary: Inuyasha Takahashi's a well known billionaire while Kagome Higurashi is just trying to get by in life. What happens when a certain picture of Kagome is circulated on the internet and intrigues a certain hanyou? UPDATE! I am back and hope to finish this story during Spring Break!
1. Chapter 1

Picture Perfect

By JoFoxx12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

**Summary: **AU. Inuyasha Takahashi is a renowned billionaire while Kagome Higurashi is just trying to get by in life. When a certain picture is taken of Kagome and circulated on the web, what happens when a certain hanyou is intrigued by it?

**Author's Notes: **Inuyasha is 26, Kagome 23, Sango 24, Miroku 25.

Chapter One

Inuyasha sighed as he sat back in his leather desk chair. His white, silky locks had been pulled into a low ponytail as he looked out of his balcony doors in his study. He let another sigh and groaned. He was so bored. Here he was, Inuyasha Takahashi, son of the well-known business tycoon, Inutashio Takahashi, with nothing to do. It was unbelievable! How could the ultimate bachelor have nothing to do?

A knock on the door broke him from his deep thoughts. "Come in." he growled.

His best friend since he was a child, Miroku Hoshi, walked in and frowned at the hanyou. "What's got you in a depressive mood? Kikyo not putting out anymore?"

"Shut up, pervert." Inuyasha snarled. "Kikyo's doing a shoot out in New York. She won't be back for a week."

Miroku grinned and sat in the chair in front of the nice, dark wood desk. "So, you're up for another night of clubbing, then? I met this girl today at the restaurant and she said she had a few friends who were looking for a "good" time while they were on vacation."

"Hmmm."

"Oh, come on, Yash! You're usually up for an opportunity like this! What the hell is the matter with you?!" the young man yelled.

Amber eyes glared at the dark violet ones dancing in anger. "That is none of your business, pervert. Take Koga or Sesshy with you. I'm sure they'll want to go whore hunting with you tonight." He snarled and got up out of his chair.

Miroku's jaw just dropped in shock. He had never heard his best friend refer to their women-chasing as something as bad as that. "Whore hunting? Okay, this is quite serious. Honestly, Inuyasha, what's going on?"

With another sigh from the hanyou, he leaned on the French doors leading to the balcony. "Have you ever felt there's something more to this, Miroku? I mean, I've never felt so damn bored in my entire life."

"How? I mean, you're a movie star, rock star, model, wealthy, intelligent, envied, desired. You could have anything you want and you're bored?!"

"I don't know." He growled in frustration. "I'm 26 years old, for God's sake. I should be high on life, not feeling so damn bored!"

His friend nodded. "Exactly! So, forget the club! We're heading to the strip club! I've had a coupon I've been saving for such an occasion! I'll call the boys, you try to look somewhat decent and retain your image of unattainable bachelor with a skanky ho girlfriend, and I'll have your limo pick you up at nine o'clock sharp."

Inuyasha watched in amazement as his friend and manager pretty much dashed out of the room. He turned his attention back to the darkening sky. "What should I do?!" he demanded.

Kagome Higurashi stood before a panel of three people nervously. Her palms were all sweaty, she felt the room was getting smaller by the minute, and she knew her hair looked horrible in that bun she tried to work on while rushing out the door.

"Well, Ms. Higurashi, I have to tell you that your script is a well written one." The middle aged woman smiled politely as she closed the binder with Kagome's screenplay inside.

The balding man on the woman's left let out a snort. "Sure, if you're into movies that are made of all fluff and no action." He leaned across the table and stared at the young twenty four year old. "Let me tell you something, Ms. Higurashi. Movies today aren't just about the girl and the guy falling deeply in love after some huge conflict and falling happily ever after. If you want that, you might as well hand this to someone in Disney. You want your script to make it to the big screens? Write some smut in it! Audiences love a good scene with characters getting' down and dirty!"

Kagome was shocked and frowned at the balding man. "While I respect your advice, sir, I believe you can still make a good movie without having the necessity of sex. Some audience members are still quite modest and often are offended by such scenes."

He scoffed. "Apparently, someone's been watching too many Disney movies."

The other man at the table laughed while the woman just remained quiet.

"Listen, babe, you're a pretty girl. Script writing is so much your forte. I suggest you give up this whole idea of putting lovey dovey characters in some melodrama and take up acting. Those actors make much more than you would and who knows? You might even become famous."

Her brown eyes flared up at the man's words. "Now, excuse-"

"We're not accepting your script, Ms. Higurashi. Either take it and leave or you can let us edit it and put in some sex scenes." He challenged.

Her back was straight and rigid with irritation. She walked up to the panel slowly and took her binders from them. "I appreciate you taking time to look over my script and bid you all a nice day." She said respectfully and left the room before she did something that could get her in jail.

Kagome quickly got into her small car and headed back to her apartment that she shared with her best friend from high school, Sango Taijaiya. She parked into the community garage, headed to her apartment, and walked inside, tossing the binders onto a table with a loud thud.

Sango jumped up from the living room as she heard the noise. "Whoa! What's wrong? Did they like it?"

The younger girl frowned and unbuttoned her suit jacket. "No. That stupid man said they didn't want it because it didn't have sex scenes. I mean, the content doesn't need sex in it! The plot is good enough without having to have that useless stuff."

"Kags, you know that sex sells in society now." Sango explained as she went to hug her friend. "Those people have no idea what kind of talent they're refusing."

Kagome sighed. "It's just that they were my last chance. Now, I'll have to go back to working at the restaurant as a hostess until I can find a company to take my script If not, I'll have to at least find work as a writer for soaps."

"Hey, baby steps, girl." She picked up her small cat, Kirara, and sat back down on the couch. "You know, we are a model short at the studio for a project I'm working on. It pays good money and you'll get pampered. Why do I bother telling you this? You did this in high school."

"Please, Sango, don't remind me. It was bad enough that the boys found out I was the model in the posters they had hanging in their lockers." She admitted with a shiver.  
The older girl just laughed. "Well, what do you say then? On your days off, you can come model at the studio and then work at the restaurant while trying to get someone to buy your script."

Kagome sighed and thought about it. She really did need the extra money to help pay the rent and bills. Plus, with modeling, she could find more companies to read her script. She gave her friend a smile and hugged her. "Of course!"

The pair laughed as the cat scrambled away from them.

"Perfect. Now, go get changed! We're going to celebrate the beginning of your new life!" Sango declared.

Despite the fact they were miles apart from each other, Kagome and Inuyasha looked at the same bright star in the ebony sky.

"What do you have in store for me?" they both whispered and went to continue their lives.

If they had looked hard enough, they never would've missed the huge smile that Fate was casting upon the two of them

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That's the end of Chapter One for now. I hope you all enjoyed it! I'd love any reviews you leave and I'll try to update as much as I can. Curse the aspect of summer school and college! Anyways, stay tuned for updates! Thanks again!

jofoxx12


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

**Summary: **AU. Inuyasha Takahashi is a renowned billionaire while Kagome Higurashi is just trying to get by in life. When a certain picture is taken of Kagome and circulated on the web, what happens when a certain hanyou is intrigued by it?

Chapter Two

Inuyasha groaned into his pillow as he felt the bright rays of the sun peek through his curtain. He opened his eyes one at a time to reveal groggy amber, wiped the sleep away from the corners, and let out a huge yawn. He was exhausted from partying and drinking at the strip club. Well, granted that he did leave early which caused Miroku to lash out in annoyance. He had been to that club before, there was nothing new, nothing exciting. All the dancers were the same, dressed the same, looked the same.

"Inuyasha! Are you awake yet?" a soft voice called over the intercom.

The hanyou jumped out of bed and pressed a button. "I'm awake, Mom. I'll be right down."

"All right."

He headed into his state of the art shower and spent at least twenty minutes in there. He was always determined to get through one shower without getting water in his sensitive ears. Once he was finished, he put on a black button up dress shirt, rolled up the sleeves, and left the top three buttons undone. He put on a pair of khaki pants, wore his expensive suede shoes imported from Italy, and put his famous white locks into a low ponytail again. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he headed to the first floor of the three story mansion, and entered the family dining room where his parents were waiting on him.

"Good morning, Inuyasha." His mother, Izayoi, greeted with a warm smile.

"Spent another night partying, did you?" Inutashio asked as he read from the daily newspaper.

Inuyasha kissed his mother's cheek and sat down on the opposite side of the table from her. "Nothing too terrible, old man. Miroku's upset that I haven't been my usual partying self, is all." He growled and ate the breakfast that had been set before him.

The huge business tycoon glanced over his paper. "Something wrong, Inuyasha?"

"No, sir."

"Hmm. Well, if you're not working on any projects with movies or your music, perhaps you'd like to come down to the company and help out. You didn't get that master's in business for nothing, you know."

Amber colored eyes rolled around upon hearing these words. He had heard them time and time again from his father. He only got a master's in business to please his old man, but had a passion for acting and music. "I'll see if I don't have any projects lined up. I'm sure old Sesshy will be quite pleased to see me."

Izayoi sighed as she watched her son grin. "Now, Inuyasha, you know better than to irritate poor Sesshomaru. He has enough things to worry about. Kagura's at least six months pregnant, he has to take charge of the branch in New York and London, and I'm sure he doesn't need to babysit his little brother."

Inutashio nodded in agreement and lowered his paper. "Your mother is right, Inuyasha. If you plan to attend just to bother Sesshomaru, there's no point in going at all. However, I do have a bit of bad news for you, my Izayoi."

She looked at him with concern and lowered her teacup back to the table. "What is it?"

"I'm afraid I'm going to be gone for a few weeks. We're planning on opening a branch in Paris and you know how they act when I'm not there to hold their hand." He chuckled as he reached over to hold his mate's hand.

A smile appeared on her face as she squeezed his hand. "I know. I will miss you very much, but you have to promise to bring me something from Paris. Oh! Perhaps we could go there for our anniversary!" she suggested as her eyes brightened in excitement.

The older dog demon laughed and kissed her hand. "Anything for you."

Inuyasha was quiet during the interaction between his parents. He had always felt out of place whenever they were being intimate with one another and would often try to leave the room if he was close to a door. So, dashing from the dining table would've been just a little suspicious. He cleared his throat and ate some more of his breakfast. "When exactly will you be back?"

"At least three weeks from tomorrow." His father replied. He looked down at his expensive gold rolex and nodded. "I better start heading to work. I'll see you tonight, Izayoi." He kissed her cheek and patted his son's shoulder. "The offer is always open, Inuyasha."

"I'll think about it, Dad."

He nodded and headed to the limo waiting for him outside.

Izayoi continued to drink her tea. "Do you have plans for today, Inuyasha?"

The bachelor winced inwardly. He knew that phrase very well and either answer could get him into a lot of trouble. If he lied and told her he did have plans, she'd be left all alone and try to play it off with a fake smile. If he admitted that he was free for the day, then he'd be subject to whatever female torment his mother was used to. He let out a sigh and shook his head. "No, Mom, I don't have anything to do today."

"Wonderful! You can help me choose some things that Kagura will need for the baby." She smiled and stood up. "You know, Inu, this would be easier if you hired a companion for me."

He frowned. "Mom, you're not that old."

"I know, but I get quite irritated when you and your father refuse to go out with me to do simple errands. A nice companion would be wonderful to have around here, don't you think?"

"I suppose. I'll have someone print up an ad for you." Inuyasha muttered.

Izayoi smirked and kissed her son's cheek. "Thank you, son. Now, I'll just be a minute. I just need to change and fix my face."

"B-But you're already dressed and you look okay!" he argued.

She shook her head as she made her way to the master bedroom. "Men. When will they ever learn?"

Kagome walked into the studio with Sango that morning and felt immediately out of place. She hadn't done modeling since her senior year of high school and that was six years ago. She knew she looked decent, but she probably didn't look like what she used to.

Sango glanced at her friend. "You okay, Kags?"

The younger girl nodded. "Yeah. Just a bit overwhelmed, that's all."

"Don't worry. I'm the leader of this project, which happens to be mine as well, so I'll make sure no one walks all over you. Including those snobby models." Sango led them to a group of people waiting in the corner and clapped her hands loudly. "All right, I'm here! Listen up! You, spit out that gum!"

Kagome watched with amusement as her friend quickly put on her cold and harsh demeanor. That was something she always admired about Sango. She knew how to be warm and caring when she wanted to be and she could be the last person you wanted to piss off.

"Now, we only have today to do this shoot and I want it to be perfect. It's going to be auctioned off to a bunch of celebrities in a few weeks and the money's going to be donated to St. Jude's. I want your best performance, anyone that feels differently can go now."

No one left and just stared at the young woman with the commanding presence.

"Good. Now, you've all been assigned your part for this shoot. I suggest you get changed, get into hair and makeup pronto, and get your asses out here so we can get this done tonight!" she ordered and watched with a smile as everyone quickly left to do as they were told.

Kagome looked at her and shook her head. "Sorry, but I couldn't picture that without seeing high school volley ball again."

"I knew those intimidation lines would come in handy one day." Sango grinned and led her to a rack filled with the necessary items for the shoot. She picked out a long indigo blue shawl that looked cerulean under the right light. She also took out a box of colored contacts that were cerulean blue and handed them to Kagome. "These are for you."

The raven haired girl looked at the body length shawl and contacts. "Um, what exactly as I supposed to do?"

"Oh, right. Sorry, Kags, I thought I had told you about the shoot. It's called 'Couleurs de l'arc-en-ciel'."

"That's Colors of the Rainbow in French, isn't it?"

Sango grinned and nodded. "My idea was to have each model portray a different emotion with the color of the rainbow. The pictures will be in black and white, but certain elements will be highlighted in the photo. It just came to me one day when it was raining and I saw a rainbow. Now, there's also a nude body swimsuit for you to put on too and you can wrap the shawl around it when we call you up."

Kagome nodded, headed into the dressing room, got changed, put the blue contacts in and was quickly ushered to hair and makeup. They had curled her hair to have more waves and didn't put that much makeup except a shiny lipgloss and mascara to bring out her eyes. She waited in line as she watched the other models take their pictures. When it was her turn, she moved onto the set quickly. It was just a plain background of a silk, white sheet.

"Okay, hon, I need you to sit on your knees and just look totally desperate, okay? I want you to look helpless, hopeless, that sort of thing."

She glanced over to Sango, who just nodded. "Isn't indigo supposed to be relaxing?"

The photographer huffed and turned to the older girl. "She's certainly got a mouth on her, doesn't she?"

Sango just laughed. "You'll have the desperation while the next model who's a darker shade of blue is relaxed."

"Oh, okay." Kagome took a deep breath and started to pose for the photographer who totally went from being annoyed to being enraptured by the look of hopelessness and pain that Kagome was giving to him. The blue shawl had wrapped around her arm and across her chest in a mesmerizing way and she looked at the camera with a plea for help in her eyes.

"That's beautiful! Absolute perfection!" the photographer gushed as he raced all over the place taking snapshots of her.

"That should do it, Henry." Sango said with a serious tone, but couldn't stop the smirk on her face. She watched Kagome get up and smiled. "Just like old times?"

The girl just laughed. "Yeah, just like old times."

Once the shoot was complete and Sango was satisfied with everything, the pair headed back to their apartment and settled down on the couch.

"So, what was your idea for the other models? What's going to be highlighted for them?" Kagome asked as she pulled her cat, Buyo, onto her lap.

"Well, we have red hair, orange eyeshadow, yellow blush, green nails, the indigo eyes, blue mascara, and the violet lipstick."

She wrinkled her noise and laughed. "I guess you forgot to mention that your client was a makeup producer." She rubbed Buyo's belly. "Still, it's a good cause for the company and I'm sure one of those snobs will enjoy displaying it in their closet where the other crap they buy is."

Sango just laughed as she stretched out their beige suede couch. "I heard the famous bachelors of the Shikon band is going to attend the auction. Inuyasha Takahashi and the model, Kikyo, are supposed to be attending."

Kagome groaned. "If the Shikon band's attending, the restaurant is probably going to have to cater for this event."

"Hey! So, we'll both end up going."

"I don't get why you're so into the celebrities, Sango. They're just like us except they make money even if they lift their pinky finger." She got up and put Buyo down on the ground. "When is this event anyway? I want to brace myself if we do have to cater to the spoiled brats of society."

"Tomorrow. I have to meet with the manager of Shikon tomorrow since he wants the group to do a new fashion shoot. Renew their image or some kind of crap along those lines. Do you want to go? You can totally give those celebrities a piece of your mind." The girl teased as she picked up the remote and started channel surfing.

Kagome just replied by throwing a pillow at her friend.

The next morning, Miroku walked into the family dining room with a huge grin on his face. "Good morning!"

Izayoi smiled at the young man that she considered a son. "Good morning, Miroku. You certainly are chipper this morning."

Inuyasha snorted as he drank his coffee. "Get another free membership into a strip joint?"

"Inuyasha!" his mother scolded.

The hanyou's ears drooped and he shot an apologetic glance to his mother. He turned back to his friend and manager, who was trying his best not to burst out laughing. "Well, what do you want, pervert?"

"I called all the boys and you have a photo shoot today." He announced as he fixed his crisp suit. "I pulled a few strings and managed to get you into one of the best studios. I already have Rolling Stone's offer to buy the photos and get interviews with you all."

Izayoi smiled in delight. "Oh, how exciting! What time is the photo shoot, Miroku?"

"In about an hour. You're more than welcome to come with us, Auntie Izzy." He said with affection as he sat next to the woman he considered as a second mother. "You can make sure that Inuyasha doesn't bite the photographer this time."

The pair laughed while the hanyou growled into his toast.

Miroku stood back up and hit his friend on the shoulder. "Hurry up! We don't want to be late."

Izayoi stood up. "I suppose I should get ready, too. I think there's a few nice shops that just opened up on that part of town and I've been trying to go browse over there. Give me a few minutes, boys." With that, she headed to her room to get ready.

"You know that she's going to be an hour." Inuyasha muttered as he pushed his plate away and stood up.

Miroku shrugged. "Hey, I'll wait forever for her. She's like my mom, too."

The young bachelor smirked and hit his friend hard on the back. "You're right. You're like the ugly brother I never had." He dodged the punch Miroku threw at him and laughed as he walked slowly back to his room.

"You really don't want to meet them?" Sango scoffed as she and Kagome waited in the studio.

Her raven hair swayed as she nodded. "I'm positive, Sango. I'm not a big groupie despite what you may think. I like the music, I think Shippo's the most adorable of them all, but I'm not going to breathe down their necks for an autograph. I'm going to go hang out at the café next door and just give me a call when you're done."

The girl sighed and watched her staff get the studio prepared for their celebrity guests. "Fine. I'll call your cell the minute they're gone since you don't want anything to do with them."

Kagome gave her a hug. "Thanks. Once I'm done at the café, I'll go browse down the shops."

"Have fun, Kags."

She gave her friend a wave, headed outside, and walked to the café to stand in a long line filled with so many people waiting to get coffee or tea or a rice krispy treat with m&ms. She sighed and winced when she noticed flashing lights and screams of girls next door.

The people in line turned at the sound and started leaving to see what it was. When they noticed it was a popular rock group, everyone except the workers left and Kagome was the only one in line. She smiled at the cashier and ordered a green tea, paid, and went around the corner to sit in a little outdoor area that the café had set up. She pulled a book out of her huge purse and began to read when she was interrupted by someone.

"Hello. Do you mind if I join you?"

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And that is all for Chapter Two. I really liked coming up with the concept of Sango's rainbow picture, but still having to incorporate it with high end of society. Basically, she runs the studio and is a photographer herself, but she runs it mostly.

Izayoi is into charity work mostly, but that'll be discussed later on in future chapters. Other than that, I want to thank you all for reading my story so far and I'm so glad for the reviews. I never really expected so many! Still, enjoy and keep the reviews coming!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

**AN: _Oh wow, thanks so much for all the reviews! I have really enjoyed reading your comments and can't wait for more! I hope you enjoy this chapter!_**

Jo Foxx

Chapter Three

Kagome gasped in delight and jumped up from her chair to hug the person. "Oh, Jakotsu! How have you been?" she asked as she pulled back from the sharply, dressed man.

He chuckled and kissed both of her cheeks. "Oh, darling, I am just peachy. Look at you! You are just as radiant as always!" he chuckled and sat down in the small lawn chair opposite of her. "So, Kagsy, rumor on the street is that you're thinking about coming back to the restaurant. Coming to join the family again?"

She sighed and took a sip of her semi-cold tea. "I have to wonder to whom you've been speaking to, Jakotsu. Let me guess, Hojo?"

The restaurant owner just shrugged and flagged down a server who was cleaning up a table. "Excuse me, sweet cheeks, I need a large caramel macchiato, pronto."

The girl, who was possibly just a mere sixteen years old, scowled at the famous owner. "This isn't Starbucks."

"Do you know how to make it?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

He held up a hand, showing off his perfectly manicured nails. "Ah, no buts. I suggest you get your cute little ass back in there, make it, and bring it here or your manager won't be happy about my comments on service."

Kagome had to stifle a laugh as she watched the poor girl glare at her friend and storm back inside the café. "Honestly, Jakotsu, stooping low enough to torment servers that don't belong to you? Where is your dignity?"

"Kagsy, don't give me that crap." He leaned forward and gave her a big grin. "So, is my favorite hostess going to come back to work for me?"

She leaned back in her chair, folded her arms across her chest, and smirked at him. "Give me one good reason why I should return to the Band of Seven. Ah, not just because you work there and I'm the only one willing to stand up to your brother."

He pouted. "Well, that is completely unfair." He let out a sigh as he sat there and thought quietly. "I can't get a multiple choice or call a friend?"

"Jakotsu."

"Tsk, fine, be heartless." He huffed and looked at her for a moment or two. "You have this aura about you that makes people want to get to know you and find out what kind of secrets you have. You have a charm and finesse that is quite rare in women today." He reached over and pulled her hand into his. "Being my dearest friend is probably the most important reason why I want you to come back. I want to help you pursue your dream like you helped me with the restaurant."

Her brown eyes softened at his words. "I almost forgot you know what to say to make a girl agree to anything."

Jakotsu laughed and watched the young teenage server put down his drink. "About time, honey. Where did you go for the beans? Colombia?"

The girl rolled her eyes and went back inside.

"Kids today." He muttered and took a sip of his drink. "Needs work. She wouldn't last long in my kitchen, that's for sure." He put down some cash on the ticket she left along with a fifty dollar tip.

Kagome shook her head. "You amaze me at times. So, when do you need me back at the restaurant?"

"I'll work out something by the beginning of next week, hopefully." He glanced down at his watch and frowned. "Damn, I have to be somewhere in thirty minutes. We're catering a big even in three days. I'm sure you've heard of it."

She nodded with a sigh. "The big celebrity auction."

"Exactly. Well, my dear, I better get going before I get into trouble." He stood up at the same time that she did and kissed her cheeks once more. "I'll give you a call as soon as I get all the paperwork done. Try not to get hired by anyone else, please."

She laughed. "I doubt that'll happen."

"Be good, Kagsie." He smiled and headed back to where he parked on the opposite side of the street.

Kagome laughed and leaned back in her chair, trying to read her book one more time. She had gotten through a chapter and a half when she heard cries of fangirls fill the peaceful silence.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S SHIPPO!!" the cries yelled out.

She winced as she heard them getting louder and closer which meant that he was headed towards the café. "Oh, that's the last thing I need. A marathon against a popstar with his 

fangirls." She muttered. She quickly dashed inside and handed the girl the tip and Jakotsu's cash, ran back out, and headed for a small, antique shop a few stores down. She opened the door, which caused a small bell to ring, and gave a polite smile to the elderly shop owner. Her eyes were drawn to several different antiques, mostly due to their unique shape or color. She didn't look where she was going and collided with a dainty, elegant dressed woman. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

The lady just chuckled and patted Kagome's hand. "Oh, not at all, dear. I was wrapped up in one of these pieces, I had no idea I was standing here like a statue."

The younger woman just chuckled softly and her eyes were drawn to a locket that had been placed in the very back on one of the shelves. She picked it up and looked at it as if she were in a trance.

"My, my. That looks like a beautiful locket." The lady said with a smile.

"That's interesting, though. It looks just like any other locket that comes from any jewelry store. Why would this one be in an antique shop? What makes it so special?" she asked softly as her fingers rubbed against it.

The store owner moved toward the two women and smiled. "Ah, that is one of my most favorite items here in the shop. The locket used to belong to a young woman engaged to a very powerful hanyou. However, there was a rift between the lovers, but the young woman never took the locket off because her heart still belonged to the hanyou. It came into my possession years ago when I first opened this shop."

Kagome smiled softly. "It is a beautiful locket. It's a shame it doesn't open. The rust must have gathered up and sealed the inside."

"I wonder, young lady, is there still a group of people down the street around that photo studio?" the lady asked.

"Yes, ma'am. They were chasing one of the band members when I headed here. The last thing I need is to get trampled on by a bunch of high school girls in love with a rock star." She chuckled and placed the locket back on the shelf.

The lady smiled. "I understand completely. My son is actually running errands and I happen to be shopping alone. I would love some kind of company, that is if you have nothing else keeping you."

Kagome gave her a warm smile. "I would love to join you."

"Wonderful. You know, there is a cozy little boutique that just opened up a few stores down. I suggest we go browse. What do you think?"

"Let's get started."

The lady linked her arm through Kagome's and nodded towards the shop keeper. "Thank you, Kaede. You have a wonderful afternoon."

"The same to you, madam."

The pair left the shop and quickly headed towards a small fashion boutique filled with classy looking clothes yet had reasonable prices. As they were browsing through a rack filled with button-up blouses, the older woman spoke.

"You know, dear, I haven't introduced myself. I can't believe my bad manners." She tsked loudly. "I am Izayoi."

Kagome shook her hand. "I'm Kagome."

"Kagome, what a beautiful name. Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, Kagome." Izayoi smiled and continued to search for different articles of clothing that caught her attention. After about an hour inside the boutique, the pair came out with at least two bags for each of them. They headed into another shop, and another, and decided to have lunch at a small Italian bistro. They sat outside near a small fountain and looked over the menu.

"So, tell me, Kagome. What do you do?"

The girl glanced at the older woman and let out a small sigh. "To be honest, Izayoi, that is a good question. I went to college to study writing and was also interested in film, so I have the experience and skills to be a screenwriter. However, none of the studios seem interested in my work. So, for the moment, I work as a hostess at a restaurant and part time as a model."

Izayoi scowled a little at hearing how the studios shot down the girl's work. "May I ask why they turned it down?"

"They said it was because it didn't have any sex scenes or smut in it."

"How awful! I personally think that most films today are quite laced with scenes like that. It's quite overpowering and taking over books, television, music. It's horrible, really. I mean, it's being introduced to children who have no concept of what it is but will gladly mirror what they see." The older woman fumed and chuckled at her ranting. "I'm quite sorry. I used to be a librarian at a private school and a second mother to most of the students that would come in and listen to me read."

Kagome giggled and pictured Izayoi in a rocking chair reading to a group of little pre-school children. "You don't do that anymore?"

"Oh, no. I retired just last year." She replied and glanced at the young girl. "You know, Kagome, I really enjoy your company. Most young women I meet are often upset that they have to be tagged with an older woman like me."

"Oh, Izayoi, you're not old at all. You're refined and mature. Not old. Old is at 60. You look as if you're in your mid forties." Kagome took a sip of her tea.

The woman laughed and squeezed the girl's hand. "Nevertheless, I'd be quite delighted if you'd be my companion. I'm often left alone at the house. My son is busy with his career just like my husband, so it's a bit lonely at times. You're more than welcome to keep your other jobs, but I'm offering a place to live in my house, free meals, and more. You'd get a handsome paycheck, as well."

Kagome just chuckled softly and looked at the woman sitting across from her. She thought Izayoi was one of the nicest ladies she'd ever met and she reminded her of her own mother. To actually have an older woman to talk to about life would be nice. "Well, is it okay if I talk it over with my roommate?"

"You have a roommate?"

"Yes, ma'am. My best friend from high school, Sango. She's practically my sister." She said with a grin on her face. "She's actually in charge of the photo studio up the street." There was a hint of pride in her voice.

Izayoi's eyes widened in amazement. "So, that's the young lady who's running that place. It's quite impressive and so well-known!" She took a sip of her wine. "I know. Here's what we'll do, Kagome. You and Sango can come to live with me at my place and we'll work it from there. What do you think?"

"I quite like that idea."

They laughed and thanked the waiter that brought them their food.

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Sango stood close by as she watched her makeup artists pamper the rock stars. She winced when she heard the screeches of fan girls right outside her studio. Her heels clacked against the marble floor as she walked towards a security guard. "Chris, do you think you could get some of the girls to stop pressing themselves against the glass? They're disrupting my photographers, the clients, and more importantly, me."

"Yes, ma'am." The huge security guard said and headed out the doors.

"OH MY GOD! SHIPPO, I LOVE YOU!"

The fox demon winced as he heard the cries of a random fan and turned to his friends. "Why do they go after me?" he whined.

"Why are you complaining? I'd rather be the one that has more women throw themselves willingly onto me." Koga huffed as he leaned against a chair while plucking at his guitar.

"OW! Damn it! What did I tell you about my ears?!" Inuyasha yelled at the hair stylist. "Gimme that!" he growled, swiped the comb away, brushed his white locks to a sheen, and tossed it onto the counter. "Can we get this over with?"

The wolf demon snickered. "Looks like someone wants his mommy to pick him up from daycare already."

"Shut up, you mangy wolf." He snarled and walked over to Miroku. "Why is taking so damn long to get this shoot done?!"

His manager sighed. "Inuyasha, you know these things take longer than they're expected to. Sango's just trying to get the right atmosphere and that means pushing the fans to the next street or make it three streets over. Do you really want to pose and hear some girl tell you how badly she wants to jump you? Do you honestly think you can keep your composure after hearing that?"

"I'm not the runt, Miroku." He growled.

"Hey!"

Sango walked back to the group. "We're ready for you now, Mr. Houshi."

He gave her a charming smile. "Please, call me Miroku."

"Mmm, no. Mr. Takahashi, if you and your bandmates will follow me." She led them to where a white backdrop hung down. "Now, Inuyasha, you'll stand in the front, Koga will be behind you to your right, and Shippo will be to your left." She watched as they got into the positions she asked for and fixed their posture.

Henry, the photographer, drooled in delight as he watched the famous band take their spots. "This is going to be a piece of cake! Sango, this is just like yesterday when we did the whole makeup piece with your friend."

Inuyasha's ears twitched towards the photographer and his amber orbs glanced at her. "Makeup piece?"

"It's being auctioned in two days. You know? The whole celebrity auction and all the donations will go to St. Jude's? Aren't you and the model, Kikyo, going to attend?" she asked as 

she fixed his silky, blood red button-up shirt. She had it unbuttoned all the way, showing off his muscles and abs.

"Kikyo's doing a shoot in New York. I'm just going with these losers." He replied and crossed his arms.

She nodded. "Don't move. That's a good pose for you. Koga, if we fix your head band a bit and if you shove both hands into your jean pockets, that'll be great." Then, she moved to Shippo and fix his stubborn red hair. She made him place his arms behind his head in a carefree sort of mood. "Now, I want a frown from you, Inuyasha. Koga, a sneer from you. Shippo, I'd like a grin or smirk from you, please. Henry, are you ready?"

"I've been ready!" he squealed and as soon as he got the approval from his boss, he raced around and took multiple shots of the group, causing Inuyasha's frown to get a little deeper than necessary. "Oh, that's perfect! Pure gold, right here, guys! You're so fantastic! People want you so bad! They want to be you, they want to be with you!" he gushed.

Shippo snorted. "Like we don't know that already."

"Shut up, runt." The hanyou growled.

The fox demon just stuck out his tongue in response and huffed.

"I think that'll be enough, Henry, thank you." Sango ordered and walked back to Miroku. "We'll have the proofs ready the day after the auction for Rolling Stones. Then, as soon as the reporter is done with the interview, let us know and I'll take the proofs to them."

He nodded with a smile on his face. "I must say, Sango, for a young woman, you are very professional. Perhaps we could chat over dinner sometime? Perhaps we could talk about you bearing my children?" he asked and leaned his face closer to hers.

Her patience snapped in half and her hand went flying through the air to connect with his cheek. "You pervert!" She quickly turned on her heel and marched over to talk to Henry, leaving an embarrassed Miroku in the dust.

"Ha, serves you right!" Inuyasha laughed and noticed a picture with a bunch of models on it, but had different items in each section highlighted. "Hey, Sango, is this what you were talking about?"

The woman walked over and nodded. "Yes, it is. We're actually taking it apart, too. So, not only will the whole piece be sold, but each portrait will be sold as well."

The hanyou moved closer to look.

"Mr. Takahashi, your limo is here, sir." The security guard called.

He moved away and looked at Miroku. "You coming or not?"

"I have a few loose ends to tie up, but I'll meet you back at your place." He said, still nursing his sore cheek.

"Have it your way." He went back to the changing room, changed into his original black t-shirt and jeans, and headed into the limo. "Has my mother come back yet?"

"No, sir. She said she would be waiting at a café around the corner, though." The driver replied and started it up.

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"I'll give you a call as soon as I talk it over with Sango and come to a decision, Izayoi." Kagome said as she hugged the older woman.

She smiled and squeezed her hands. "I really do hope that you accept my offer, Kagome. It'd be nice to have a few young women in the house to talk to . As much as I love my son, he certainly isn't interested in talking about a good novel. He never did like to read much as a child." She teased.

Brown eyes laughed at the older woman. "I can understand that. Well, I better head back before I get attacked. Take care, Izayoi."

"You too, my dear."

Kagome took her bags and headed to the photo shoot, her eyes widening slightly when she noticed a limo drive pass her. "Huh, probably one of those big old super stars. I wonder where it's going." She muttered to herself. She walked into the studio and smiled at her best friend. "Hey."

"Hi! Wow, looks like you had a good time shopping without me." The girl teased as she glanced at the bags.

Raven locks just shook up and down in response. "I did have a good time. I also had something interesting happen today."

"Like what?"

"Well, how would you like to live in big place with this older woman? I mean, she's looking for someone to keep her company because her son and husband are always away because of their jobs." Kagome explained as she sat down on the couch.

"What about our apartment? What about Kirara and Buyo?"

"I'm sure she'd let us keep them, Sango. She's willing to pay us 100,000 a week if we agree to it. I don't care how much she gives us, though. She's really nice and I know you'd love her. She reminds me so much of my own mom."

Sango bit her lip nervously. "Well, let me think it over and I'll give you an answer tonight. Is that okay with you?"

Kagome squealed in delight and hugged her friend. "You're totally the best!"

"I know, I know!"

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Inuyasha sat at his desk, looking up Sango's makeup project on the internet to get a better look at it. He growled in frustration when he couldn't find any matches of it through the search engines. His amber eyes shot up when the door opened and revealed his best friend. "Where have you been?"

"I told you I had a few things to take care of before I came over." The man replied as he walked over to see what Inuyasha was looking at. "What are you doing?"

"That picture that I saw at the photo studio. I'm trying to find it."

"Why don't you just go to the auction website? They have everything displayed on there." Miroku said.

"Shut up." Inuyasha typed in the web address and growled when the website popped up. "Don't say anything, pervert." He scrolled through the list of items being were to be on display for the auction and clicked on the portrait. He clicked on another link that had the individual sections and browsed through each one. His amber eyes widened when he got to the indigo one.

"Whoa! That chick is hot!" Miroku whistled as he looked at the picture.

The hanyou, however, was at a loss for words. He was entranced by this picture. The girl's plea in her cerulean eyes wanted him to help her. Her beauty looked so pure and called out to his inner demon. He forced himself to be in control and looked at how many bids were placed already. "What the hell?! There are already ten thousand bids on this picture?!"

"Popular lady, isn't she?"

"I want this picture. I have to know who she is." Inuyasha growled softly. "Stop staring, pervert."

"I'm not staring, Inuyasha. I'm looking and admiring her beauty. There is a difference, you know."

"Not with you, there isn't." He turned his attention back to the portrait and vowed silently to himself that he was going to outbid anyone who tried to take it from him.

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Over the next two days, Sango and Kagome had come to a decision that they would take Izayoi's offer. Kagome had called her the day after they had met and let her know. Also, Jakotsu had called the girl and let her know that she could start working again on the day of the auction.

So, she and her best friend drove to the fancy hotel where the auction was being held in the Grand Ballroom. Kagome wore a jade green summer dress with a black suit jacket over it while Sango dressed in a white pinstripe suit. Both girls had their hair up in buns and separated once they walked in.

"There she is! The belle of the grand ballroom!" Jakotsu teased as he embraced Kagome. "So, ready to get back on the bike?"

She just laughed and looked at the celebrities walking while trying not to be blinded by the lights from the cameras of magazine photographers and paparazzi. "So, who's helping you serve at this function?"

"Your favorites. Hojo, Eri, Ayame, and Ayume. They've just finished helping the chefs prep the plates, so you're just my right hand lady until it's time to feed these beasts. Speaking of beasts, it's that drop dead dreamy Inuyasha." Jakotsu finished with a squeal and clutched his clipboard tightly.

Kagome turned to see the famous bachelor stride into the ballroom and the first thing her eyes were drawn to were his ears which twitched in different directions. She stifled a giggle at how they moved and cleared her throat. "Focus, Jakotsu. Now, what do we do?"

"We wait, darling, we wait. Let's go have a seat and just enjoy the show." He led her to the back of the crowd and sat down while the auction began. They watched as different celebrities bid on different items. Some were antiques, some were jewelry that was quite rare, some were modern technology not yet introduced into the United States, and some were priceless art.

"Now, we have a piece called 'Couleurs de l'arc-en-ciel' by Miss Sango Taijaiya. These models demonstrate the rainbow and also enhance the different products of Piacere. We shall start the bidding at 10,000."

Kagome watched as two soap stars, a fashion critic, and a reality tv host fought back and forth for the group picture.

"I have 300,000 going once, 300,000 going twice, sold to Mr. Swanson for 300,000. Now, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to sell the individual portraits of the models from Miss Taijaiya's picture. We'll start with the most popular picture from our online bidding. This is the indigo portrait, model unknown, and we'll start the bidding at 50,000."

Inuyasha raised his marker.

Then, another a daytime star raised his. Followed quickly by a folk singer who was trumped by Inuyasha. The circle went on for a while and Kagome was astounded by how aggressive these men were getting by one picture. She tugged on Jakotsu. "You have to stop this."

"How do you propose I do that, Kagsie?" he hissed.

Inuyasha growled in frustration. "1 million dollars." He smirked as he glanced at the others who looked quite upset and ignored the numerous gasps from other celebrities.

Her jaw dropped and tugged on Jakotsu's sleeve. "Stop him!" she whispered urgently.

"Where am I going to get that kind of cash?"

"Oh, please, like I haven't seen your secret stash for your monthly supply of facial cream." She replied.

He gasped in outrage. "Those were prescribed by a doctor!"

"Just do it, please!" she begged.

"1 million dollars going once, 1 million dollars going twice."

"Jakotsu!"

The man raised his marker and started to open his mouth.

"I bid 2 million dollars."

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_**And that is the end of this chapter, which I have to admit is the longest so far, but I think my favorite. To be honest, I have no idea how things operate in a photo studio and I loved the rainbow concept with Sango, but I knew it had to involve makeup because of the society they live in. Anyway, I'd love if anyone wanted to illustrate any scenes or anything, as long as they clear it with me, they're more than welcome to! Hopefully by the end of the weekend, I'll have another chapter up, but that's only if I finish my paper and do my homework, lol. Have a great weekend, everyone!**_

Jo Foxx

P.S. Keep those reviews coming!


	4. Chapter 4

Picture Perfect

By JoFoxx12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter Four

Everyone turned to look at the person who had bid against Inuyasha's outrageous bid of one million dollars. Eyes widened and hushed whispers traveled all around the room as the person stood up and smirked at Inuyasha.

Kagome's jaw hit the floor as Jakotsu's eyes widened in shock.

The hanyou billionaire stood up from his seat and growled, his eyes starting to bleed red. "What the hell are you doing, runt?!"

Shippo just grinned and shrugged. "I got a pay raise from Miroku. I like blue." He snickered.

The auctioneer's eyes went back and forth from the musicians of the famous rock band. He cleared his throat. "Well, um, I have two million going once, two million going twice…"

"Three million!" Inuyasha snarled as he shot his amber orbs to the meek man.

The girl whined. "What is wrong with that guy? Who spends three million dollars on a picture?!" she hissed to her companion, who had his eyes glued to Inuyasha's backside. "Jakotsu! Are you paying attention?!"

He sighed. "Kagsie, I have no idea why you're so upset. This is for charity, after all. Besides, the guy said the model's unknown. Are you really going to whine over the fact that two drop dead gorgerous guys are fighting over a picture of you?"

Her brown eyes dropped to the floor. "I guess not."

"Good. Now, shut up and let's find out who gets your half naked picture."

"Jakotsu!"

Shippo held up his hands and chuckled at his friend. "Okay, Inuyasha, you win. I didn't get that much from Miroku, anyway." He sat down and rolled his eyes when he saw the dog demon smile in triumph. "Idiot." He muttered to himself.

"Well, setting a new record with us is Mr. Inuyasha Takahashi. Three million going once, going twice, and sold! Congratulations, sir!" the man applauded him with enthusiasm and well practiced false admiration. "Now, let's get on with the rest of the paintings, shall we?"

Kagome sighed as she and Jakotsu left the ballroom to head to another huge ballroom to set up for the lunch. She smiled as she noticed all of her friends setting up the tables and ran to hug Ayame, a stubborn wolf demon. "How are you?"

The girl shrugged. "I'm living. What about you? How'd the interview go with your script?"

"They didn't think it had enough sexual content in it, to put it lightly." She replied as she picked up a champagne flute. She examined it with a crucial eye and placed it back down lightly onto the table. "Other than that, I just have to keep on trying. How's your song writing? Anything yet?"

"Not really. There's an Open Mic gig sometime in the next two weeks, so I'm going to see if I can make it if Jakotsu doesn't need me for that night."

The said owner waltzed between the ladies and scoffed. "Oh, darling, I'll always need you. Now, the auction's halfway done and so all those hungry celebrities are going to be very moody. Therefore, we better make sure the buffet is ready and hot. Oh, Ayame, no flirting. Hojo, no blubbering. Ayumi, no asking for autographs. Eri, no trying to jump the hot celebrites."

"What about me?" Kagome teased.

He smirked and placed his manicured hands on his hips. "You, missy, need to go back to the restaurant, actually. They're fairly short handed and I think those kids are much more scared of you than they are of me." He took her arm and led her to the front of the hotel. "Besides, I don't want you trying to kill that Inuyasha with the butcher knife. You may not like him, honey, but please think about the other people you'd be causing pain to."

She laughed and headed towards her car. "Call as soon as you come back."

"Will do!" he smiled and waved.

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Miroku sighed as he watched his friend eat the demanded ramen. "Honestly, Inuyasha, you had to order that. They had a very good brisket over there."

The bachelor just growled and slurped up the noodles. "I didn't want brisket, pervert. I wanted this." He took another bunch of noodles and started sucking them up noisily. His amber eyes were drawn to Shippo, who sat down at their table. "I'm quite surprised you're here, runt. What makes you think I won't kill you?"

The fox demon shrugged and started to eat his ice cream. "Maybe it's because we're in a room full of celebrities and humans?" He turned to Miroku. "I had no idea that he was going to go all out for a picture of Kikyo."

The manager's eyes widened. "It can't be Kikyo!" His violet eyes were drawn to the woman who walked by. He stood up and grabbed her arm. "Sango!"

"Mr. Houshi!" she said in shock. Her cheeks blushed slightly. "What do you want?"

"The model in the indigo portrait. Who is she?" Inuyasha asked as he finished his ramen.

"Tell me it's not Kikyo." Miroku pleaded.

Sango blinked once or twice and chuckled. "I'm not going to risk her identity and tell you who she is, but I can assure you that it is not Kikyo. She's made it clear that she refuses to work with such a low level photo studio and photographer as myself. No offense to you, of course, Mr. Takahashi."

He scoffed. "Things are rocky with her, anyway." His eyes flickered up to her in suspicion. "Is the girl a professional model?"

"She's done modeling, yes. However, I will not reveal her no matter how much you demand to know or offer to pay. What good is a chase if you know what you're chasing?" she smiled and pulled her arm out of Miroku's grasp. "Have a nice day, gentlemen."

"Whoa, that was deep." Shippo said in awe.

The manager sighed in content. "She is quite a rare treasure." He looked at his best friend who was still scowling. "Would you lighten up, Inuyasha? At least we know that I wasn't drooling over Kikyo." He said with a shudder.

The hanyou's eyes darkened. "You were drooling over her?!"

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That evening, Kagome left work early to head back to the apartment to finish the packing they had started a few days ago. Izayoi just instructed them to pack all their clothes and precious belongings and she'd take care of their apartment and business matters.

The young girl pulled out a small jewelry box and smiled in delight. She had received the box for her sixteenth birthday and it played a tune that she was so fond of, but she never knew the words to it. She opened it and hummed along to the sweet melody. "La di da di da, la da di da. La di da di da, la da di da."

Sango walked into the room and noticed the girl playing with the box. "So, anything else we need to pack up before I call?"

"Did we get Kirara's and Buyo's stuff?" Kagome asked as she closed the box and put it in a suitcase.

The girl nodded. "It's all set."

"I guess we can make the call, then." Brown eyes said with excitement and anxiety. She was so nervous to go live with a stranger she barely knew, but for some reason, she felt like she had known Izayoi for years. Kagome looked around the room that had been her own for the past two years and sighed. "There have been a lot of good times in here."

Sango smiled and hugged the girl she considered a sister. "I know, hon. I know." She walked out and dialed the number that had been left for them. She told the movers where they were located and where they needed to go. "Hey, do you still have the instructions that Izayoi left for us?"

"It's on the refrigerator." She called and zipped up her final bag. She rolled two suitcases into the living room, placed them with Sango's, and started to put the boxes they had packed into the living room which would make it easier for the movers. Her arms had grown so tired from moving the semi-heavy boxes from one room to the living room and noticed the two cats just lying on the couch, watching her. "Oh sure, act like royalty, you spoiled things."

Sango stared at her friend in confusion. "Kags, why are you moving them? The movers said they'd get it."

"Well, yeah, but this way, they don't have to go so far to get the boxes. They're right there." She explained meekly and decided to take a break. "Ugh, and then we have to unpack at the new place."

The photographer leaned against the sofa. "You're excited, aren't you?"

A grin spread on Kagome's tired face. "Yeah, I am. Oh, guess who I saw staring at you during the auction today?"

"Who?"

"Miroku Houshi. He kept staring at you and sighing his head off. I think he's in love with you!" she teased in a sing-song tone and fell off the couch as Sango whacked her across the head with a pillow. "Hey!"

Sango couldn't help the blush rushing to her cheeks. "Well, at least I don't have guys practically arm wrestling for my picture, now do I? I felt so bad for that soap opera guy. He was bawling really loudly. Couldn't you hear him?"

"I was too busy hitting Jakotsu for laughing." Kagome whined. She sat up when she heard the door bell ring. "Well, this is it."

The older girl helped her friend off the couch. "Let's get started."

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Inuyasha grunted as he lifted himself up to do chin-ups in his personal gym. He refused to let anyone in here besides the cleaning crew. He tolerated Miroku, Koga, and Shippo, but he was the only one who could touch his super expensive equipment.

Izayoi walked into her son's gym, winced at the blaring rock music, and turned it off.

The hanyou growled in frustration, let go and turned around to give whoever interrupted his workout a piece of his mind. His words quickly died when he noticed his mother standing in the doorway. "Mom, couldn't you at least knock first before you stop my workout?" he whined as he wiped his face on a towel.

She scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "Perhaps if you wouldn't have that music blaring, dear. Now, really, Inuyasha, I told you to clean up an hour ago. We're having our guests over soon and you look as if you've been chasing squirrels."

His face turned red as he remembered his childhood pastime. "Mom, I don't chase squirrels anymore!" He took a cleaning wipe to clean his workout equipment. "Are these guests of yours or guests of Dad's?"

"Mine, dear. Remember, we talked about this. These guests are going to be hired as my companions seeing as you and your father completely ignored my requests. I found some nice, friendly young ladies."

He snorted. "I didn't know they had Girl Scouts stay with people." He saw the glare from his mother which caused his ears to flatten against his head. "I'm just kidding, Mom. I didn't mean to upset you."

Her nose was upturned and she smirked to herself as she saw her son's apologetic stance. She always thought it was cute how he acted when he knew he was in trouble. "Never mind, Inuyasha. Please, be nice to these girls. Oh, and don't try to act like a big, super ego man when you meet them. I'm sure they hear enough about your wild antics from the media."

"Mom, that's not fair! Most of that stuff isn't true!" he defended himself.

Izayoi's eyebrow lifted slightly. "The incident in Milan with the girl in the vineyard?"

The hanyou billionaire turned red once more in front of his mother. "Okay, maybe it's sort of true, but it's not true now!"

She sighed and shook her head. "Just go wash up and look nice for our guests, Inuyasha, please."

He whined and dragged himself out of the workroom. "I don't see why I have to get all dressed up for a bunch of adolescent girls or possibly middle aged women." He muttered underneath his breath as he passed his mother.

"I heard that."

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Kagome and Sango stared out of the limo with their jaws on the ground. They were shocked when they saw a limo had been waiting for them to start with. As they loaded the trunk and settled their disgruntled cats in, they watched their apartment fade away in the distance and about twenty minutes later, they noticed that the limo was in a very classy, pricy neighborhood.

"Did you even ask what this woman did for a living?" Sango had hissed.

"Well, I doubt she sells drugs on the streets, Sango." Her friend hissed back. Her brown eyes were drawn to a huge mansion that was getting closer to them. "Um, I think that's her house."

The limo pulled up to the small, circular courtyard and stopped. The girls got their purses and cats as they were helped out of the limo by a man dressed in a crisp uniform. They were practically velcroed to each other as they made their way into the huge lobby of the mansion.

"Oh, Kagome!" a warm voice called out.

The girl looked up to see Izayoi walking down the stairs gracefully and went to hug the woman. "How are you? You look so alive." She giggled as she put Buyo's cat carrier down.

The woman laughed softly. "I've been quite busy, actually. If I look alive, it's just because I'm out of breath. This house will do that to you, I'm afraid." She turned to Sango. "Ah, it's so nice to see you again, Sango."

"You know each other?" Kagome asked, very surprised.

"We met just a few days ago at her studio. Oh, I must say, my dear, that I loved your piece for Piacere. They happen to have my favorite perfume and when I saw all their products incorporated in such a creative way, I was more than overjoyed." Izayoi praised just like a mother would. "Now, I made sure that everyone knew that you brought your cats. I am a huge animals person and they are more than welcome to the house."

"That's very kind of you." Sango smiled brightly.

"Not at all, my dear. So, shall we go to your new rooms?"

The two young girls nodded their heads in excitement and started to follow the older woman up the stairs.

"I've instructed some of the boys to take your belongings to your rooms on the second floor. We have the kitchen, dining room, formal living room, and a big ballroom on the first 

floor. The second floor has my son's gym, your rooms, his room, other guest rooms, and the master bedroom. Plus, there's a few rooms with a television, gaming systems, computers. We also have extra small kitchens around if you feel like cooking a midnight snack. The third floor has our indoor pool, our personal spa, and a garden. You'll often find me up in the garden." She chuckled as she gave them the layout of her beloved home.

The poor girls, however, were too caught up in the artwork or architecture of the home to pay any attention to what the woman was saying.

"Now, Sango, I'd actually like to show you to a small studio I had set up for you. If you'll follow me, real quick, please." Izayoi smiled and linked her arm through the girl's. "We'll be right back, Kagome."

She just nodded and kept going. The raven haired girl's eyes picked up a soft, jazzy melody being played and her legs kept walking until they stopped in front of a door. She opened it and entered a bedroom. It was a tidy room, for the most part. A huge king size bed with golden sheets and a silky, black coverlet. She heard the music drifting from an old record player and looked down at the vinyl record to get a glimpse of the song title. As she bent down, her heart nearly stopped.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?"

--

I got to say, I love reading your reviews! You totally have no idea how pumped they get me going. My only regret is I took a little longer than I hoped on updating this story. However, don't fear, the next one should be as soon as I'm done with class this week.

Also, if anyone is interested in reading other work of mine that isn't fanfiction but completely from my own insane mind, please don't hesitate to ask. I'd love to hear what you think about it and if you think it can be improved in any way.

Thanks again so much guys!

I hoped you really enjoy this chapter!

JoFoxx


	5. Chapter 5

Picture Perfect

By JoFoxx12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter Five

Kagome sighed as she sat on her suede chaise and looked out the huge window in her room. It was raining again. For the past week, it had been raining. Her brown eyes rolled around in boredom. Today was her day off at the restaurant and Izayoi had been called to a huge meeting regarding the charity organization she was involved in. Plus, Sango had to go to the studio to start work on another major fashion shoot. So, there she was in her room, bored out of her mind.

She nearly jumped when she heard loud rock music blaring just down the hall and groaned. "Why does that idiot feel that we need to get our ear drums blown out by his stupid music?" she grumbled to herself. She put a pillow over her face and tried to drown out the music, but to no avail. "That does it! I'm going to give him a piece of my mind." She got off her chaise, left the room, and stormed down the hall towards the gym.

Her brown eyes narrowed in irritation as she saw the half-demon lifting weights on his workbench. She cringed as the lead vocalist on the cd started screeching into the microphone, reached out, and shut it off.

Golden eyes shot up in anger. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he growled yet kept working out. "You're not supposed to be in here."

Kagome placed her hands on her hips. "Well, maybe if you learned that other people live on this floor and didn't raise the music up so loud, I wouldn't have to come down here." She scolded.

"First of all, it's my house and my gym. You're nothing more than my mother's assistant."

"I'm not her assistant!" she shot back.

He smirked inwardly. He knew that Kagome hated being called an assistant and he did it all the time just to piss her off. He lowered the weights back to their proper place and looked at her. "Maybe you should invest in some ear plugs if the music bothers you so damn much."

The girl was fuming. How dare this guy thinks that he could rule the world?! Just because he was the most famous and rich bachelor didn't mean that he could treat people like that. "Fine, go ahead and be deaf. See if I care." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away from the gym.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he stared at her retreating back. He had to admit that the girl had spunk. He was so used to having girls fawn over him when he entered a room, but when he met her it was so different.

!!

__

_**FLASHBACK**_

"_**WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?!"**_

_**Kagome looked from the record to see a wet, dripping hanyou with nothing but a red towel around his waist. She blushed a little then returned her gaze to the record. "I heard the music, that's all. It seems pretty familiar and I wanted to know the name of it. However, you could learn some manners. It's pretty outrageous for a guy of your stature to just waltz out of the shower with nothing but a towel around his waist."**_

_**Inuyasha's jaw dropped and he started to growl. "This is my room and I can dress any way I want to!"**_

"_**Yes, but you're a half demon, also. You probably smelled my scent the minute I walked in the room. So, instead of running out of the shower with just that, you could've at least called from the bathroom." She explained with a sort of haughty tone in her voice. **_

_**His eyes widened in shock. Not many people knew how the features of a demon worked. He was surprised this mere wench did. Plus, he was never going to admit that her scent was slightly similar to Kikyo's. He continued to stand there while she looked at his record player. "Get out!" he roared.**_

"_**If you add a 'please' to that, I will." She replied cooly.**_

"_**I don't say 'please' to anyone." He snarled.**_

_**Kagome raised her eyes to look at his amber ones. "That would explain a lot."**_

"_**Kagome?" a voice called out.**_

_**She smiled and walked by him. "You're making a mess." Then, she closed the door and went back to find Izayoi.**_

_**The hanyou just stared after the girl and smirked. He was impressed that the girl wasn't like the other women he had met. He had to find out exactly what she was doing here in his home. **_

_**!! **_

Sango sighed as she closed the door to the entrance of the grand house she now resided in. She had such a huge headache with having to deal with a whiny teenage brat who demanded that everything be done the way she wanted. What was worse was that there was a camera crew following the teen around, claiming that it was for her birthday party. That just pushed the nail deeper into Sango's head. She let out another sigh and started to take off her heels.

"You look like you could use a massage."

Her eyes widened and narrowed as they focused on the smirking Miroku, who was leaning in the doorway leading to the kitchen. "Thanks, but no thanks."

"Now, now, my dear Sango. I was just only suggesting you could visit the spa on the third floor, is all. I would never try to touch you unless you asked it of me." He replied charmingly.

The young woman just snorted. "Whatever you say, Miroku. You can try to sweet talk me all you like, but that's all you'll get."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll fall for me soon enough." He chuckled, turned around, and headed back into the kitchen.

She stared at his back in confusion and shrugged. Then, she heard loud music blaring from the second floor and groaned. "Great." She whined and started her trek up the stairs to the floor where she was residing. As soon as she hit the landing for the second floor, the music stopped and yelling was heard.

"OW! LET GO OF ME, YOU STUPID WENCH!"

"I TOLD YOU TO TURN IT DOWN, YOU IDIOT! HOW CAN ANYONE ELSE THINK AROUND HERE WITH YOUR MUSIC BLARING OUT AND KILLING OUR EAR DRUMS?!"

Sango paled. She knew that voice very well. She ran to Inuyasha's gym and her jaw dropped at the sight of her best friend twisting Inuyasha's arm behind his back. She knew Kagome could get violent if she wanted and she knew how Inuyasha was stronger than most humans. What she didn't know was: why was Inuyasha acting as if Kagome was really hurting him?

Kagome glanced up and let go of Inuyasha when she saw her best friend in the doorway. "Uh, Sango. Hi." She said meekly.

"What are you doing?"

"Keh, this stupid wench was acting like a maniac!" the hanyou snarled.

Brown eyes quickly flared up in anger and turned towards the angry billionaire. "Me?! You're the one that keeps turning up the music too loud! I already asked you once today not to turn it up!"

He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "And I told you that you should buy some damn earplugs."

Her fingers twitched and she let out a growl of frustration before she stormed out of the room, leaving her friend and enemy together.

Sango sighed and rubbed her temple to ease the pain of her headache.

"So, have you found that model yet?"

She blinked and looked at Inuyasha in confusion. "What?"

He glanced down and couldn't prevent the blush spreading onto his cheeks. "That model. You know, the one from the piece at the auction."

"The indigo piece? The one you spent a huge amount on?"

He kept silent and nodded.

"I wasn't really looking for her."

Inuyasha let out a sigh of frustration. "I know! I am! I want to know who she is! There's something about her that makes her different from the rest of the models used in that portrait! Why won't you tell me?!" he demanded as he walked towards her, trying his best to intimidate her.

"Don't think for a minute you can try to scare me, Inuyasha. Second of all, that picture is altered and I can't give out her information because she doesn't want to be located is all. She likes her privacy and does modeling on the side. It's not her profession like Kikyo. Remember her? Your girlfriend?"

He picked up a stack of tabloid magazines and plopped them down on the workbench in front of her. "You mean, ex-girlfriend."

Sango's eyebrows raised in shock as she read the headlines on the magazines. She opened one of the magazines and started to read the article aloud. " 'Famous model, Kikyo, was seen leaving today with an unidentified man. The couple had just left a five star restaurant and headed towards the model's hotel. Workers saw the couple embracing and exchanging kisses in the elevator and one worker told reporters that he saw them go into the model's suite. The question remains on what Kikyo's on and off again boyfriend, billionaire Inuyasha Takahashi, has to say about it.'" She looked up at the hanyou. "Sorry."

"It was meant to be. Kikyo never really accepted my status as a hanyou." He grumbled. "She was always trying to change me." He shook his head and looked at her again. "You have to help me find this girl, Sango. I feel some kind of connection with her."

"You're feeling a connection with a picture?"

Inuyasha ran a clawed hand through his silver locks. "Come with me." He led her down the hall towards his study and opened the door. He let her walk in and pointed above the fireplace he had in there. "I placed it above it so I could look at it while I'm working. I had a small one made to put in a picture frame and placed it next to my bed. For some reason, I just have to find her."

Sango was so touched and moved by his confession. She looked at him and touched his arm. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha, but you have to find her yourself. If you want to find her so much, this has to be something you do without help." She squeezed his arm and walked towards her room.

He snarled in anger and hurt at Sango's refusal to help, but let out a sigh. He was true in everything he told her, but he was scared to tell her that he thought that model could be his mate. He remembered everything his father told him about finding his mate and how protective he'd get.

"Still trying to get Sango to help you with that model business?" Miroku asked with a mouthful of cookie.

"What are you doing here, pervert?"

He finished the cookie and took another bite. "Your chef was making cookies and I am a sucker for her cookies, you know that. I'm also here because of the whole media thing going on with Kikyo. I wanted to talk to you about that before you decided to leave for whatever thing you've got going on now."

"I don't plan on talking to those morons." Inuyasha said as he took the rest of Miroku's cookie and scarfed it down. He kept looking at the picture as he leaned against the opposite wall.

"You know, there is someone else we could ask about the model."

"Who?"

_!!_

The photographer squealed in delight as he watched the dreamy, rich half demon walk into the studio. He fixed his button up shirt and walked over. "Why, Inuyasha, it's so nice to see you again. We weren't expecting you today? Did you want to set up another appointment? Sango's already gone home, I'm afraid, but I'd be more than happy to help you with whatever it is you want, I mean, need."

Inuyasha sneered while Miroku tried not to laugh. "I'm trying to find a model."

"Aren't we all?" the man teased.

The pair just stared at him in confusion.

He just chuckled nervously. "Who are you looking for?"

"The girl who posed for the Piacere piece that Sango worked on. She was the indigo portrait." Miroku explained politely.

"Oh, her! The one that had that mouth!" the photographer tsked. "I remember her. Didn't catch her name, but I could pick her out of a crowd. She's a friend of Sango's. Pretty girl. I think her name was 'Agsie' or something like that."

The bachelor turned to stare at the portrait that was hanging on a wall in the visitor's sitting center. "Is her eyes really that color?"

"Nope. Brown eyes. We gave her colored contacts for the piece." The photographer heard someone calling him. "Well, sorry I couldn't help, boys, but I hope I gave you enough. Feel free to stop by again!" he called out with a huge smile.

Miroku sighed. "So much for that. We're looking for a brown eyed, black haired girl who is a friend of Sango's and models. That's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Well, let's hope it's not a pretty big haystack. There's only one way we can find out who this girl is." Inuyasha's grin grew wide as he turned to face his best friend. "I'm sure you'll agree to this, Miroku."

The manager just looked at him warily. "Why do you have that smile on your face?"

"How would you like to get to know Sango just a little better?"

!!

_**Wow, I'm sooooooooooooooooo SORRY for the delay on this chapter. Summer school really bites and put work on top of it just makes it insane, lol. However, I'll try to post sooner than I did with this one. Just two more weeks of summer school, then I get a break before I start fall semester! lol. I'm so glad for all the reviews, I enjoy reading all your comments! Hope you enjoy this one!**_


	6. Chapter 6

Picture Perfect

By JoFoxx12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter Six

"Jakotsu, your brother is waiting for you in your office and I swear, if you don't tell him to stop looking at me in that creepy way that he does, he'll be the main appetizer for next week." Kagome hissed to her friend and boss as she passed by.

The man sighed and nodded in defeat. "I'm sorry, Kagome, but you know that he's liked you ever since you came to work here. No matter how many times I tell him you're not interested, he translates it into a message of desire from you. I blame my mother. She never really taught him how to behave around girls as we grew up. I, on the other hand, learned everything from my mother. So, when I find that Mr. Right, I'll be able to pamper him every day." He said proudly and his eyes grew wide as someone walked in. "Speaking of Mr. Right. Did you hear that he's single now?"

"Who?"

"Oh, please, Kagsie. Don't tell me you haven't read the tabloids!" he hissed and started to brush off invisible dust off his suit. "How do I look?"

She smirked and started to walk back to the front to greet the diners. "You are the perfect image of desperation, Jakotsu." She teased and turned around and started to recite the greeting she had used over the past few years. "Good afternoon. Welcome to Band of Seven. How many is in your par-". Her mouth drew closed as she noticed the group who had entered and scowled at the leader.

"Three." Inuyasha grinned as he stared down at the woman who was living in his home and causing chaos. Despite the fact that it was annoying, he had come to enjoy getting into small spats with her.

"Booth or table?"

Shippo gave her a friendly smile. "Can we have a table? Inuyasha always gets a little too close when we get a booth."

She let out a bark of laughter and quickly composed herself, even though she really couldn't contain the small bunch of giggles that would be released. Her eyes grew wide as she watched the hanyou hit the smaller fox demon and narrowed in anger. "Inuyasha!"

"What wench?!" he snarled.

Kagome just frowned. She had to be careful. No one really knew that she was living with Inuyasha now. Well, living in his home to be correct. Still, all she had told her friends and coworkers was that she was living someplace new with Sango. She also had to be careful about being so casual with him. Paparazzi would come to the restaurant often to see some stars dine out and if they found out she knew the famous bachelor who just got cheated on by Kikyo, 

they'd have a field day. She'd be well known, all right. Just not the way she wanted to be known.

"Well?!" he repeated, a little annoyed that she had totally spaced out on him.

Koga laughed watching his band mate get irritated by the hostess. He walked forward and took Kagome's hand in his. "You're a very beautiful woman. What's your name?"

"That's none of your business, Wolf!" the hanyou yelled. "She's just some damn wench who works here." He pushed Koga's arm back and snapped his fingers in front of Kagome, breaking her out of her daydreaming. "Give us a table, non-smoking." He ordered and looked down at her with his amber eyes.

Her brown ones clashed with his and for a moment both parties were just a little shocked. For some reason, they both felt a pull. She broke away from his mesmerizing gaze and grabbed three menus and grabbed poor Hojo, who was just walking by. "Hojo, please escort these gentlemen to a table on the upper level in the non-smoking section, please." She ordered in a polite yet cool manner.

He just glanced at the group of demons and gulped. "Yes, Kagome. If you will follow me, please." He took the menus and quickly dashed up the stairs to set up on the best tables that the restaurant had for their celebrity guests.

Inuyasha went first without looking at Kagome, Shippo gave her a friendly grin, and Koga just winked. They all went to their table and sat down while looking out of the huge glass windows that overlooked the busy city.

"Hello, boys. My name is Ayame and I'll be your server today." The female wolf demon said with a polite tone as she walked over to the table. Her steps faltered as she faced someone she'd never thought she'd see again.

"Ayame?!" Koga cried out in shock as he jumped out of his chair.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked and took a few steps back.

He walked towards her and grabbed her arm. "I thought you were still back home. You never said you were working here in the city." He pulled her close. "You told me that you were going to stay home."

She pushed him away and frowned. "Oh, so you could go and make your move on all the other women that have been throwing themselves at you since you've become famous? I don't think so, Koga." She walked back to the table, giving him the cold shoulder. "What can I get you to drink?"

Inuyasha looked over the menu and shrugged. "Water."

"Coke, please."

Ayame turned back to look at the wolf-demon. "Well?"

"Water." He replied meekly and sat back down in his chair.

She nodded and headed back downstairs to the bar.

The hanyou snickered as he looked over his menu. "Who would've thought that your mate would be working here? I thought you said you were going to bring her here anyway." He glanced at his upset friend.

"I did, but I really didn't want to have to do the whole tabloid thing yet. I wanted girls to think I was still single and throw themselves at me." He confessed as he stared down at the table. "She's going to kill me now."

Shippo shook his head. "You're an idiot."

"Well, what did I miss?" Miroku asked as he walked up the stairs, pulled a chair from another table and sat across from Shippo. He glanced down at Koga, who started banging his head on the table. "What's with him?"

"His mate is here." Inuyasha grinned in delight.

"Ayame's here? Really? I know I saw Kagome downstairs, but I haven't seen Ayame. Was she happy to see you?" Miroku asked as he grabbed Koga's menu and started to look it over. "Have any of you tried the fish here, yet? I've been dying too, but I like the steak too much to try anything else."

"You know the hostess?" Koga asked suddenly, ending his table head banging.

The manager nodded and glanced at Inuyasha. "We both do. She li-"

"Listens to our music like every normal fan." The bachelor finished for his friend and kicked Miroku's shin hard under the table. "She's just another wench, that's all." He closed his menu and noticed Ayame coming back upstairs with the drinks.

"Here you go. Oh, another person. What will you have to drink?"

"Water is fine, thank you." Miroku said with a slight grimace and tried to soothe the biting pain from his shin.

The female wolf demon nodded and took out her pad of paper. "So, what will you have to order? Our soup of the day is cream chowder and the lunch special is a filet mignon with a honey glaze accompanied with a house salad."

"Ramen." Inuyasha said.

She frowned and looked at him, trying to stop the twitch ready to appear. "We don't have ramen today."

He snorted. "Like hell, you don't. I always get ramen when I come here. Get that fruit, what's his face."

Her eyes rolled around in annoyance and turned to Shippo. "How about you, kid?"

"Spaghetti."

"I'll have the same, please." Miroku replied.

The woman focused on her mate who was trying his best not to make any kind of eye contact with her. "Well? What are you going to have?"

He glanced around and took a gulp. "The special, please."

She wrote it down, took their menus, and nodded. "I'll get those right out for you. I'll ask the boss about the ramen, but if he says 'no', you better choose something that IS off the menu and not in your pantry, Inuyasha." With that, she headed back downstairs.

"Damn, your mate is bossy." The hanyou growled as he took a sip of his water.

A few minutes later, Kagome and Jakotsu walked up the stairs and headed towards their table. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself while his partner looked very irritated at having to be brought along. "Gentlemen, about one of the orders."

"Yeah, I wanted ramen." Inuyasha said.

Jakotsu gave him a charming smile. "Well, I'm afraid we're all out of it, Mr. Takahashi. May I suggest something else that is similar to ramen?"

"Uh, no. I want ramen. I got it last time I came and I expect it now."

"We're out." Kagome said cooly. "We won't be getting another shipment for a while, so you're just going to have to make due with what we do have."

The hanyou stood up and towered over both Kagome and Jakotsu. "Look, I pay good money to come here and eat. I expect to be getting my money's worth. Here." He grabbed his wallet out of his back pocket and took out a twenty. "Go run down to the supermarket, grab ten of the beef flavored ones, and just run back here. By the time it's ready, it'll be hot enough with the other food that these losers asked for."

Jakotsu was ready to grab the money when Kagome beat him to it and shoved it back into Inuyasha's chest.

"You'll just have to live with what we have." She repeated slowly and had a deadly tone underneath. "Our workers don't get paid to run errands for little brats like you, Mr. Takahashi. So, be a big boy and order off the adult menu. If you're not satisfied with that selection, I'll be more than happy to bring you our children's menu."

The owner stared at his friend in astonishment and blushed for her gall to talk to a celebrity like that.

Inuyasha just grinned and leaned closer towards Kagome, whispering in her ear. "I'll order off the menu as long as you promise to cook me ramen at home, wench."

Her face heated up and she blushed like a red stoplight.

He pulled back and shrugged, still handing out the twenty dollar bill. "If not, then I still expect my ramen here."

Jakotsu grabbed the money before Kagome could regain her senses. "I'll do it myself, Mr. Takahashi." He took his friend's arm and dragged her back downstairs. "Are you insane? What are you thinking, talking to a customer like that?"

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, unable to stop blushing. "That's no customer, that's a brat."

"Nevertheless, Kagsie, he's still paying good money to eat here and he's promoting us too with the whole paparazzi following him around. Do me a favor and try to keep things under control while I go get his ramen, okay? Bankotsu already left so you don't have to worry about him following you." The owner gave her a hug and dashed out of the restaurant and started running to the nearest supermarket three blocks down.

By the time the boys got their meals, Kagome's patience had been cut severely thin and the next comment from that idiot hanyou was either going to make her kill him and lose her job, or just lose her job then kill him. She was shocked to learn that Koga was Ayame's mate. She never really knew that Ayame had a mate. So, she tried to be a supporting friend and help out with that particular table. Despite how cool and polite she tried to be after the whole ramen fight, Inuyasha was still getting a kick out of annoying her.

Jakotsu sighed as he sat down at the bar and sipped his martini. "The last time I ran like that was when I was running away from my first boyfriend's ex girlfriend. I knew I should've joined track in high school."

Kagome just smirked and sipped her iced tea. "So, what did your brother want?"

"He thinks the place needs a new concept, a new design. Something to bring people here to eat. He wants to do a photo shoot."

"Don't even think about it."

"Kagsie, you're the only one who used to do modeling. Plus, with Sango running the place just a few streets from here, things will go so smoothly." He pleaded with his friend. "Please please please!"

"You'll have to talk to her. I've done my modeling for the year." She scoffed and glanced over her shoulder when she saw the group of celebrities walking down. They nodded towards Jakotsu and left. Everyone expect Miroku.

"Kagome, I was wondering if you knew if Sango was working today."

She nodded. "She should be. She's working with some bratty client and she told me she'd be working late. Usually, she gets off work fairly early to come home, but apparently there's a lot of arguments with this girl. Why? Were you going to go see her?" she teased.

He chuckled. "Perhaps I was. I was thinking about asking her to dinner tonight, but she might be too tired."

"Well, Miroku, if you want to get on her good side, you can always bring her a boquet of daisies and sweet peas. She loves those flowers a lot." Kagome grinned. She loved plotting romantic schemes against her friends.

The young man's smile grew bright. "Well, thank you, Kagome. You have a wonderful evening and thank you very much for the meal, it was outstanding." He left the restaurant and headed to his expensive car.

Jakotsu frowned. "Oh, so you'll help that guy to get Sango's affection, but you won't help your other best friend to help boost the restaurant he founded years ago?"

Kagome groaned and sighed. "Fine, Jakotsu. I'll talk to Sango to see what she can do."

He squealed in delight and kissed her cheek. "You're the best, Kagsie. Now, why don't you take the rest of the day off? I'm sure you need to go take a long soak in your tub to get rid of those icky germs Inuyasha breathed on you." He teased and left the bar, draining the rest of his martini.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. Once she clocked out, she got into her car and started driving towards the Takahashi mansion. She placed her hand on the scanner to the gate and drove in. Then, she left the car and keys to one of the garage attendants and walked inside to her new home.

Izayoi looked up from the couch to see the young woman walk in. "Oh, Kagome! You're home early."

She placed her purse on the ground along with her slippers and walked over to Izayoi. "Jakotsu let me go home early. We had some demanding customers today that demanded a specific type of meal that we didn't have on the menu."

The woman smiled. "I really thought I raised my son better than that."

Kagome's jaw dropped slightly. "How did you kn-"

"Inuyasha's the only one here in the city that demands to have ramen every time he eats out. He can't get enough of it and refuses to try anything other than that. His father's the only one who refuses to give him what he wants. He'd make Inuyasha sit at the dinner table and eat all of his vegetables before he could go out and play. That boy was so stubborn, but my Inutaisho wouldn't bend or be pushed over. So, my son would eventually eat them, making faces all the while, but he'd finish his dinner."

"When is your husband coming back?"

"Very soon. In a week. I can't wait for you to meet him. He'll be so delighted to meet you and Sango. Perhaps we should throw some kind of 'Welcoming' and 'Welcome Home' party for the three of you."

Raven locks moved side to side as the girl shook her head. "Oh, Izayoi, you don't have to do that. I mean, I'm all for throwing your husband a party, but Sango and I don't need one. We've been here for two weeks already, so there's no point."

"Nonsense, Kagome. I want you and Sango to know how much I appreciate you being here and giving me company." The older woman looked up at the clock. "Now, I have to make a few phone calls. Why don't you go take a rest before dinner? Then, we can finish that discussion we had about the novel we just started reading."

"I'd like that very much."

Izayoi patted the girl's hand in a motherly fashion then got up from the couch and started walking gracefully towards her study.

Kagome headed towards her room, grabbing her purse and shoes on the way, and tossed them in a corner as she plopped onto the bed. She curled up on her bed and closed her eyes for a few minutes. Soon a few minutes passed by and quickly turned into an hour then two hours.

"Inuyasha, will you go get Kagome for dinner, please? I think she might be taking a nap." Izayoi asked as she walked by her son's study.

He grunted in response and got up from behind his desk. "Why do I got to wake the wench up? I'm not her maid." He complained to himself. He walked towards her door and knocked on it. "Oi, wench, it's time for dinner!" He knocked on it again, but received no answer. He opened the door and saw her laying down on the bed. He closed it and moved closer to push her off. "Wench, wake up." He ordered and moved closer to push her, but noticed how angelic and peaceful she looked. Then, he got another idea and grinned. He leaned closer and started to whisper in her ear. "Kagome. Kagome, it's time for dinner. Wake up." He pulled back to see her eyes flutter and soft brown ones looked deep into his amber ones.

Inuyasha didn't know what was happening but felt his head lean closer to hers and barely felt her arms wrapping around his neck. His eyes were entranced by hers and started to close when his lips brushed lightly against hers.

**#**

**_Since I still feel so bad for depriving some of you with waiting for a long time, I found the momentum to write another chapter so consider this my additional bonus gift for you all! This doesn't mean that I won't be writing another chapter soon which I probably will once my English class is over today! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one! It happens to be a little longer. I'm trying my best to make them longer, lol. ENJOY!!_**


	7. Chapter 7

Picture Perfect

By JoFoxx12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter Seven

Izayoi looked up as she noticed Kagome and her son walk in the dining room. Her eyes widened in shock as she noticed a huge black mark on his right eye. "Inuyasha! What on earth happened to you?"

He glanced at Kagome, who was fuming already, and shrugged. "I tripped on my gym equipment." He grunted and sat down across from her.

She tsked and continued to eat her soup. "I still don't understand why you insist on leaving your junk on the ground. That's a reason why you should put them up." She lectured him and caught him rolling his eyes. "Inuyasha, don't roll your eyes at me."

The hanyou slumped in his chair and started to eat his ramen with a bit of irritation.

Izayoi turned to the young girl and smiled. "Did you have a good rest, Kagome?"

Her cheeks turned a slight pink and she avoided eye contact with the older woman as Kagome started to eat her soup. "It was fine, thank you for asking." She hid her hand under the table and winced as she clenched it. She knew Inuyasha was a hard head, but she didn't think literally.

"I got a call from Kikyo today, Inuyasha. She said she needed to speak with you." His mother said with disdain quite evident in her voice.

He scoffed and continued to eat his ramen. "I don't want to speak to her."

Izayoi tried to contain the small smile forming on her lips, but glanced at Kagome who smiled at catching her. She shook her head and continued eating. "Your father is coming home soon, dear, and you know he's going to want to know what you have planned. I understand the band is taking a break for a bit and you haven't had any offers in any new movies. What if you went back to modeling for a bit?"

Kagome almost spit out the soup she had in her mouth.

The hanyou groaned. "Mom, I don't understand why you want me to do modeling. Besides, you couldn't handle it when they wanted me to do the whole underwear thing."

"You were seventeen years old, for God's sake, Inuyasha! Still a child!" she scolded. She turned to Kagome. "Have you ever done any modeling, Kagome?"

The girl nodded and blushed. "Just a little during high school to earn money. Nothing fancy." She knew it wasn't the complete truth, but she did admit something she didn't tell everyone she met.

Izayoi gave her a warm smile. "How nice! Did you enjoy it?"

Kagome smiled and nodded. "I did. It was nice to be pampered, but it got old after a while."

Inuyasha listened to her story while chewing on his noodles. He could imagine a gangly Kagome trying to pose for a camera in an awkward pose and nearly choked on the noodles as he started to laugh.

His mother looked at him in shock. "Inuyasha!" She started to hit his back hard and sighed when he stopped coughing. "Time and time again have I told you to stop swallowing your ramen whole! You have to chew!"

"Mom!"

Kagome watched the interaction and her brown eyes danced in amusement. She missed having the same interaction with her mother. She finished her soup and drank the rest of her tea. "That was very good."

Izayoi smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Kagome. It's one of my favorite meals that our chef makes. Inuyasha, however, refuses to try just a little bit of it."

He just scoffed and wrapped his fork around the noodles again.

"Well, Kagome, would you like to go to my parlor? We can finish talking about that book while we start working on the blanket for the baby."

"What baby?" she asked.

"Oh, Inuyasha's brother and my step-son, Sesshomaru. He and his wife, Kagura, are expecting a girl in three months. I'm so excited for the both of them! I can't wait to have grandchildren filling up the house, running around!" Izayoi chuckled and took her bowl into the kitchen.

The girl got out of her chair and watched Inuyasha finally finish his bowl of ramen. She noticed him get out of his chair and start to walk out of the dining room. "Aren't you going to take that to the kitchen?"

He glanced at her over his shoulder and sneered. "That's what servants are for, wench." Then, he left the dining room to head back to his gym.

Brown eyes grew angry, but picked up the hanyou's bowl and placed it in the sink. She headed back upstairs when she noticed someone walk inside of the entrance. "Sango?"

Said woman turned around quickly, holding a boquet of sweet peas and daisies and blushing madly. She tried to hide the flowers. "Kagome, it's not what you think!"

"Miroku took you to dinner, didn't he?" her friend squealed in delight.

The young photographer blushed some more as she started to head to her room.

"Come on, Sango, you have to tell me the details!" Kagome laughed as she followed her. She took the flowers from her and read the card. " 'To the woman who captured my heart with a single smile'. Aww, that's so romantic! Where did you guys go eat? Don't tell me you went to my work."

Sango shook her head as she got a tank top and sweats to change into. She walked into her grand bathroom and closed the door. "We ate at some Italian restaurant. He was lucky I was too tired and hungry to disagree." She shouted from behind the door. She came out and sat on the edge of her bed. "It was so weird, Kags, because it felt so normal. So easy to be with him."

Kagome let out another squeal. "Aw, Sango! So, does this mean you guys are dating?"

"Not dating, Kagome. We're simply getting to know each other better."

She let out a snort. "Whatever, Sango. That's totally dating."

The young woman just rolled her eyes and turned to face Kagome. "I got a voicemail from Jakotsu before I left work. He said you wanted to talk to me about something." She pulled her hair from the loose bun and shook the ebony locks. "Something about a photo shoot if I recall anything from his excited ranting."

Kagome groaned and face planted into Sango's bed.

Her friend just poked her in the side. "Well?"

She flipped over and sat up. "Bankotsu wants to do a photo shoot to promote the restaurant and give it a brand new theme. He wants it to be popular, elegant, classy, the whole shebang. He thinks a photo shoot can convince people to eat there."

"Well, a picture's worth a thousand words." Sango ran the brush through her hair and set it down on her dresser, going into a trance like state. "Actually, I do have a good idea on how to set it up! It'd require you, though, Kags."

The younger woman groaned. "I had a feeling you were going to say that."

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Bankotsu looked over Sango's notes as he stood in her office at the studio. "It seems like an easy project."

"I assure you that it won't be. I'm going to need your whole restaurant for the evening if you want to make a whole new approach." Sango said coolly as she sat behind the desk. She didn't know why, but she was never really comfortable around Bankotsu.

He frowned at her. "That's quite a huge amount of money we're losing there. Dinner hour is our busiest and we have many patrons that always look forward to eating at Band of Seven."

She mirrored his expression. "Then, why would you try to make an new image for yourself if you have so many loyal patrons?"

Jakotsu stifled his laugh and quickly found the rug in Sango's office to be the most interesting thing in the entire room.

His brother glared at the room and handed her the notes back. "Fine. We'll close the restaurant down this Friday. Is there anything else that you need?" He started to brush off imaginary lint from his sharp suit blazer.

"I already have the models in mind for the shoot, Bankotsu. You do your job and I'll do mine." Her assistant alerted her of the arrival of a client and she stood up. "I'll arrive at the restaurant at seven o'clock sharp and would appreciate it if just Jakotsu stayed to supervise."

The man smiled and nodded. "It'd be an honor to work with you. Well, c'mon, grumpy pants, the restaurant's not going to run itself." He grabbed Bankotsu by his arm and dragged him out of the office.

Sango let out a sigh and leaned back into her chair. She watched her appointment walk in and smiled. "I'm glad you came."

Inuyasha frowned. "Like you gave me much of a choice. What's this about, Sango? Did you find that model yet?"

She rolled her eyes and got out of her chair. "No, but I'm actually asking if I can employ you for a while. You see, Band of Seven is doing a whole makeover and want to put out ads showing it off. Bankotsu, one of the co-owners, wants to go all out."

"So, why do you need me?" the hanyou asked.

"You used to model and for the concept I had in mind, not only will the restaurant's ratings go up, but you'll also gain from it as well. More parts with the movies, your band's cds will sell a bit more. It just shows how flexible and versatile you are, Inuyasha." She explained to him. "Well? Will you please be my model for at least two days?"

"Two days?! How long is this damn shoot?!"

"Well, I can only use it at night. Besides, they're willing to provide food and Jakotsu even agreed to let you have ramen there without any kind of hassle. It's a lifetime guarantee if you agree to do this."

The bachelor thought it over, his ears twitching around. "I'm the only model?"

Sango looked uneasy and avoided looking at him. "No, we have another model that was assigned from the restaurant."

"Who is it?" he demanded.

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Ayame stared at Kagome as she got dressed by the lackeys there helping make the photo shoot run smoothly. "You look fantastic in that dress, Kags."

The young woman sighed and was glared at by one of the women fixing the dress. She gave her an apologetic grin. "I hope Sango just makes this quick. I don't know who the guy is, but my feet hurt enough as it is from our lunch rush."

"Hey, if he's good looking, maybe he can be your dessert!" Ayame snickered.

"Ayame!" Kagome blushed and was once again glared at by the woman. She knew her hair was in for some harsh punishment. They had dressed the girl in a long silk, black gown that parted in the front right under her knees so her long, smooth legs showed. She wore black heels that laced up her ankles and her legs. The straps of the dress rested on her shoulders and the only accessories she wore was a black velvet collar with a bright red ruby in the center along with matching earrings. When they finished attacking her hair, they had made it big and wavy.

"What, no contacts?" she smirked as Sango walked into the area set up for the outfits and makeup.

The young woman rolled her eyes and looked at her friend in the mirror. "Don't you wish. We're almost ready to start. Make sure she's not wearing a heavy lipstick, Frankie. I don't want blood red, but more of a glossy pink if possible. The outfit looks amazing."

"Wish I had it for Prom." Kagome joked and closed her eyes when Frankie started to surround her with a cloud of hairspray. "I think I'm ready."

Sango smiled and walked back to the area set up for the shoot. "Okay, now before you start, I have to warn you."

"About what?"

"Inuyasha is the one I asked to model with you."

Kagome stopped in her tracks and gaped at her friend. "You what?! Why would you do that?! You know I can't stand him!"

She pushed a strand of hair from her face and gave Kagome a stern look. "You couldn't stand quite a lot of guys when you modeled, but you're going to have to suck it up. The contrast of his hair will look great."

"What are you doing this time, Sango?"

They continued to walk and waited for everyone to make sure everything was set up right, that the lighting was perfect, and that no one had touched anything. "The photos will be in black and white with parts of it highlighted, just like the Piacere piece. I wanted to do it on the top floor where it overlooks the city and shows the lights. I really wanted to present it as a place of having serenity and being away from the world, yet being apart of it. It'll look great, Kags, don't worry."

She let out a snort and saw a flash of silver from the corner of her eye.

"What's the wench all dressed up for?" Inuyasha smirked as he walked over in a sharp, black suit with a blood red tie. He was given a black fedora and it was placed on his head, covering his ears, much to Kagome's disappointment.

The young girl counted slowly before addressing him coolly. "I'm the other model."

"I thought you had to have brains to model." He replied as he fixed the tie.

"Well, you're living proof that we don't." she snapped back and moved over to the photographer.

The young man, Drake, took the role of the photographer. He gave Kagome a weak smile as she walked over. "Sorry, Henry had to work on some major shoot in Milan. He kept asking Sango if he could do this, but she wouldn't let him." He noticed Inuyasha walking over and paled. "Um, I'm going to go see if anyone needs any help."

The hanyou frowned as the photographer frowned as he stood next to Kagome. "What a wimp." He muttered.

"Look who's talking." She snapped.

He smirked. "Still upset?"

"Inuyasha, Kagome, could you come here please? I need to tell you what we're doing. We don't have too much time and I want the shots to be as best as they can." Sango called from a table she was sitting out. It was littered with so many notes and plans, the pair was surprised she was so well organized.

"What's the plan, Sango?" Kagome asked, careful not to trip on the delicate gown.

The young woman pulled out a blueprint of what kind of pictures she wanted to have taken of them for the concept. "All right. Here's what we're going to do. We'll do separate shots of you both, then together, then shots of the food, atmosphere, and I really want the overlook of the city. For the final picture of the layout, I want you and Inuyasha off to the side looking out of the window gazing at the lights of the city."

"That's all?" Kagome asked, a bit suspicious.

She sighed and braced herself for the huge headache that was approaching quickly like a deadly thunder storm. "Inuyasha's arms are going to be wrapped around you, so you'll be leaning into him."

"WHAT?!" the pair shouted, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look in their direction. As soon as they saw the hanyou billionaire glaring, they quickly picked up their things and continued.

Sango gave the two a stern look. "Now, look here. You two agreed to do this and that meant submitting your will and actions to me for the night. You're lucky I'm not like most photographers and have you making out on the table among all the food." She pointed towards their area and glared at her best friend. "We're starting so go take your place."

Kagome sulked off like she was a little girl who had received a scolding. As soon as she sat down, she quickly took on the persona of a young woman waiting to be joined by her lover or whatever. She cringed at the thought of Inuyasha being her lover.

"Now, Inuyasha, we're going to take some single shots of you. Do you smoke?"

"I have once." He admitted with a blush. He didn't like to smoke, but only did it because Miroku and Koga had forced him into it. He thought it was gross and messed up his sensitive senses anyway.

"We have cigarettes that aren't tobacco but produce this very unique smoke pattern. It creates a type of swirl. They have them lit and we just need you to take one huge intake and then puff it out slowly. We'll add some digital stuff later on." Sango explained as she took him over to the doorway leading to the second story. They had fixed it to be a little more enticing and inviting. She looked over at Drake. "Are you ready?"

"Yes ma'am."

Inuyasha leaned against the doorway, took the lit cigarette and quickly took an inhale of it. He ignored the flashing lights of the camera, kept his golden eyes on Kagome, and slowly released the smoke from his mouth, creating a very sensual picture.

The girl blushed from her seat as she watched Inuyasha get his picture taken with the smoke and the way his outfit and fedora completed the look of dangerous and sexy. She 

mentally shook her head. She knew if she really did and messed up her hair, Sango would most likely kill her. She shouldn't be thinking things like that about the hanyou. They were worlds apart.

"Okay, that should do it for Inuyasha." The young woman announced and moved over to her friend. "Now, Kags, you're going to be looking at him from the doorway, while taking a sip of wine. We'll have part of your face covered by your hair and you don't have to drink the wine, just look like it. Got it?"

She nodded and waited for Drake to give her the signal to start. When he did, she raised the glass to her mouth, making sure part of her face was covered. She had this small smirk on her face and tried to get her eyes to look full of love and excitement.

Inuyasha took a deep gulp from the doorway and was glad no one could see him. He had no idea that Kagome could look and act like that. He was sort of glad for the shadows as well, hiding his blush.

"All right. Now, Inuyasha take a seat at the table. Kagome, you'll be feeding him a bit of the dessert that's set out. You don't have to eat it, Inuyasha, but I want you both to look at each other and try to fake some kind of adoration."

The bachelor sat down across from the girl and smirked. "About time I got a free meal out of this place."

Kagome couldn't help it and laughed at him, totally oblivious to the flashing of Drake's camera. She was still able to hold the fork with a piece of double chocolate chip cake on it perfectly still and aimed towards his mouth.

He leaned forward to eat it, but was surprised to see the fork and cake piece disappear into her mouth. "Cheater." He said with a small smile on his lips.

Sango tried her best to hid the smile creeping onto her lips, but couldn't help it. She was so amused by the couple and their antics at trying to remain cool and rude to each other, but she had a very trained eye and knew what fit well. And from what she had seen the past few times, she knew those two fit each other perfectly. She withdrew from her romantic fantasies of the pair and cleared her throat. "We're also doing dancing shots, too."

Kagome looked up at her friend in surprise. "Dancing? Sango, I can't dance."

"Swaying, then."

The hanyou leaned back in his seat and smirked. "You can't dance?"

She blushed and once again took on a haughty air about her. "I can dance just fine, thank you."

Her best friend rolled her eyes and moved to a boom box she had one of her lackeys bring. She put in the CD and pressed a button and music started to fill the room. "Now, Inuyasha, if you and Little Miss Priss could dance right in front of the huge window, please."

He stood up and held out his hand. "Come on. The boss said we have to."

She rolled her eyes and took his hand. She tried her best not to blush as it closed gently around hers and followed him to where Sango instructed. Kagome kept her eyes down when Inuyasha pulled her close to him, wrapped his arm around her waist, and started to sway to the music.

_**Unforgettable**_

_**That's what you are**_

_**Unforgettable **_

_**Though near or far**_

_**Like a song of love that clings to me**_

_**How the thought of you does things to me**_

_**Never before **_

_**Has someone been more**_

_**Unforgettable**_

_**In every way**_

Kagome's eyes widened as she heard the soft melody surround them as they danced in time to it. They widened even more as she heard Inuyasha softly singing them into her hair.

_**That's why, Darling**_

_**It's incredible**_

_**That someone so unforgettable**_

The crew that had been working around them had stopped to watch the pair dance to the beautiful song and couldn't help the warm fuzzies that settled in their hearts. The women were awing, the guys were smirking, and Jakotsu was silently having tear bursting moments and taking all the boxes of tissues that were around.

_**Thinks that I am **_

__

_**Unforgettable, too**_

As the song ended, Kagome pulled back and looked up at the hanyou, who wore this unreadable expression on his face. The two pulled back as they heard a loud 'click' from Drake's camera.

Sango silently cursed under her breath. She was certain they were going to kiss and winced at the thought of having to pay Jakotsu that fifty bucks. She cleared her throat again and walked to the couple. "We actually may just finish in this one night. Now, for my last shot, if you two could just stand in front of the window, backs to us and stare out into the city lights, that would be perfect. After that, you change and Jakotsu actually has a buffet set up for us downstairs."

The two nodded and Inuyasha took Kagome to the window where she leaned against him and he wrapped his arms around her.

"He didn't make ramen." Kagome said softly as the noise of the camera resumed around them.

Inuyasha glanced down at her and looked back at the city. "Don't lie, wench. It's not very ladylike."

She smiled and her eyes caught his in the reflection of the glass.

"Sango, you should get a kiss!" Jakotsu said loudly from his seat and from the mountain of tissue boxes surrounding him.

The rest of the crew cheered in encouragement at the idea.

The young woman looked at the pair who had blushed at the slight suggestion of doing something so very intimate. "It would look nice." She replied.

Kagome's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She couldn't believe that her friend would actually consider making her kiss a guy that she barely knew and barely even liked. She glanced back at Inuyasha and blushed.

Inuyasha was thinking the same thing, but knew his demon side was all for kissing the young woman. For some reason, his demon side seemed to be a lot warmer to this female than it was to Kikyo.

"Well?" Sango asked, placing her hands on her hips. "It's just one shot, guys. Stop being so middle school about it. We're all adults here."

Kagome frowned. "Fine." She grabbed Inuyasha by the lapels of his crisp, black suit and their lips met. Both eyes had closed at the exact moment and Kagome had let go of his lapels to rest her hands on his chest while Inuyasha had used his to wrap them around her.

Jakotsu let out another sob and blew noisily into the tissue.

Ayame's eyes widened as she caught both scents of the pair and quickly moved to Sango. "They like each other." She whispered into her friend's ear with a giggle and moved back to finish setting up the buffet downstairs.

Drake was having a field day and was grateful that his boss had chosen a great pair of models. He had never seen such chemistry between anyone before. Not as electrifying and captivating as theirs. He took the final shots and nodded to Sango.

"Okay, that is it!" she announced.

As they heard her voice, the two sprang apart and looked at one each other incredulously. It was if they hadn't seen each other before.

"You two can go get changed." Sango said softly as she walked to them.

"Uh, yeah, thanks." Inuyasha muttered and nearly dashed to where his jeans and red shirt was waiting for him.

Kagome blushed and looked at her friend. "What?"

"You like him." Sango smirked as they walked back to where Kagome's clothes were. "Don't try to lie, Kags, Ayame could smell it. You two have got the hots for each other."

"Sango!" she hissed.

"What? Who can blame you? Inuyasha's a hot looking guy, can be a total idiot, but has a really nice side to him as well." Her friend replied as she handed the clothes back to Kagome. "Look, Kags, if you find that you want to pursue this thing you two have, I am in total support of it."

"Support of what?"

The women looked to see Miroku walking towards them.

"What are you doing here?" Sango blushed.

He shrugged and smiled at Kagome's outfit. "You look very beautiful, Kagome. The shoot must've gone well if you finished early. Or did Inuyasha throw a fit?"

"Shut up, pervert. I didn't throw any fit." The hanyou growled as he finished pulling his t-shirt over his head. He shook out his white locks and glared at his friend. "Are we going to go or what?"

"Why should we go? Dinner is being provided here." Miroku asked.

Inuyasha growled. "We still have to go meet with the other morons, remember?"

"Oh, yes. I forgot. Very well, Inuyasha, let's go." The young man grabbed Sango's hand and kissed it. "I can't wait until tomorrow night."

She blushed and took her hand back. "Um, yeah. See you then."

He winked, smiled at Kagome, and followed the hanyou downstairs.

The girl squealed. "Well, Sango, if you find that you want to pursue this thing that you and Miroku have, I am in total support of it." She laughed, throwing her friend's words back into her face.

Sango's face flared up and ran after the girl in the very expensive gown.

That night, the two friends entered the huge mansion and walked to their individual rooms, wishing each other a good night.

Kagome went to her purse and pulled out the CD she had snuck from the boom box and placed it into the music player that was set up in her room. She pressed the button and turned it up a bit and listened to the song play again. Her brown eyes softened and she found herself dancing alone in her room to the melody.

Inuyasha walked up the stairs to the second floor and passed Kagome's room when his sensitive ears heard music. He leaned against it and smirked, identifying it as the song the two danced to. It felt so right to have Kagome in his arms, but he was too proud to admit to anyone but himself. He wasn't her type, anyways. Kagome was too much of a goody two shoes and his world was too harsh and cruel. He couldn't bear to see her pure image marred by their cruel and hateful words.

"Inuyasha?"

His amber orbs widened and he groaned at being caught. He turned and blushed when he saw his mother standing there. "Yes, Mom?"

She gave her son a soft smile and walked up to him, patting his cheek. "I know you like the girl, darling. I really wish you'd stop beating around the bush and just ask her to go out on a date."

"Mom, my world would eat her alive." He explained softly, not wanting Kagome to hear them. "I don't want her to get hurt."

"That's why you'll always be there to protect her, dear." Izayoi smiled and squeezed his hand. "Good night, Inuyasha." She pecked his cheek and headed towards her bedroom. "Don't stay up too late."

He let out a sigh and smiled. "Good night." He looked back at Kagome's door and placed a hand on it gently. "Sweet dreams, Kagome." He whispered and headed towards his room.

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Sango wore a proud smile on her face as she showed Kagome the ad for the restaurant. "It came to me at the last minute, but it totally works out."

The young girl saw how her friend set it up. The layout was like a clock and there were pictures representing each hour and the middle had been of the two looking out at the city. She blushed as she saw that the twelfth hour was replaced with the picture of her and Inuyasha kissing. Her brown eyes read the tagline and smirked. "That's just genius."

"Isn't it? 'It's always time for Band of Seven.' Sounded so perfect." She took the ad and placed it into the huge folder. "Well, wish me luck. I have to go present it to your bosses."

She let out a snort. "You'll have Jakotsu easily. Bankotsu, you just have to work him a little better. He'll give in, trust me."

"Good, because if he doesn't, you owe me a free drink from this place." Sango kissed her friend's cheek. "See you later, Kags."

Kagome waved as she watched Sango head down to the office and sat at the bar, finishing her tea. She saw a group come in from the corner of her eye and was ready to get up until someone stopped her.

"Kagome?"

Her eyes widened at that voice. She turned and prepared herself. "Yes?"

"Will you go out on a date with me?"

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_**Okay, so my bad for leaving you guys hanging like that, but I've had so much to do since the last update what with summer school! So finished by the way! Plus, I wanted to enjoy my two weeks of summer vacation. I've had three weeks and one weekend of summer vakay! So not doing summer school ever again. **_

_**But, anyways, over 100 reviews! Thank you all so much!! I'm having such a great time writing this fic, lol. What's funny is I don't know a thing about taking real photos, I'm such an amateur, lol. But, here is Chapter Seven. R&R all you like and if anyone wants to do any drawings for this, please let me know. Like I said before, I'm such a pro at stick figures, but when it comes to real art, I'm not any good, lol. **_

_**Thanks again and enjoy!**_

_**Jo Foxx**_


	8. Chapter 8

Picture Perfect

By JoFoxx12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

**Summary: **AU. Inuyasha Takahashi is a renowned billionaire while Kagome Higurashi is just trying to get by in life. When a certain picture is taken of Kagome and circulated on the web, what happens when a certain hanyou is intrigued by it?

Chapter Eight

Kagome winced as she noticed Hojo's hopeful and dreamy look as he stood in front of her. She gave him a weak smile and started to recite the same thing she always told him when he wanted to go out on a date with her. "Hojo, I really appreciate the offer, but I'm-"

"In a relationship." Ayame finished for her as she walked up to the pair.

The waiter's face fell in disappointment. "You're seeing someone?"

The wolf demoness nodded with a huge grin on her face.

He let out a sigh and nodded. "Okay, then. Maybe when you're single again, Kagome? We could go out for a coffee or some ice cream?" he asked with that boyish smile.

She nodded and gave another weak smile. "Sure, Hojo. That sounds nice."

"Hojo, there's a huge group over at Table 15 that's been waiting for drinks." Ayame said and waited for him to get the menus and go before she turned to face the raven haired girl. "Geez, I thought the boy would never leave your side."

Kagome pushed a stray hair from her face and frowned at her friend. "What's the big idea? Telling him that I was in a relationship and all?"

"Well, you are."

"Oh? With whom?" Kagome challenged and folded her arms across her chest.

Ayame pointed to the group that was waiting at the hostess stand and grinned. "I'll go with the guy wearing the worn out leather jacket."

The girl turned and saw Inuyasha, Shippo, Koga, and Miroku waiting to be seated. Her eyes widened as Inuyasha grinned and winked at her. She quickly turned back to Ayame, who was trying not to laugh. "You're so going to get it."

"So are you." The wolf demoness laughed and went to hug Koga.

Kagome got the menu and met them at the front. "Up or down today?"

Shippo smirked. "Up, please. The paparazzi have a harder time trying to get photos from the tinted glass. Plus, there aren't many fangirls upstairs."

"SHIPPO, WE LOVE YOU!" a screeching noise came from outside of the restaurant doors.

The fox demon whimpered in fear and hid behind Miroku.

Inuyasha scoffed and rolled his eyes at the boy. "Wimp. C'mon, wench, find us a table. I'm hungry. Oh, and don't give us that Homo guy. He stinks of fear constantly. Thought the moron was going to wet himself last time."

Koga snickered and winced as Ayame hit his head. "What? It's true."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll put up with them, Kags. You stay here."

Kagome smiled at her friend and handed her the menus. "Oh, and remember that Jakotsu says that Mr. High and Mighty can have his ramen. You're lucky, Inuyasha, that he made that a requirement on our supply list."

The hanyou just smirked. "It's not luck, wench. It's skill."

"Let's go, boys." Ayame ordered and led them upstairs to their usual table. Koga followed closely behind, then Shippo, then Miroku, and Inuyasha took up the rear. He started to follow, but turned around.

Kagome looked at him with confusion. "Something wrong?"

"I want to go out on a date with you." He ordered.

Her brown eyes widened. "What?"

"What's wrong, wench? Don't speak English?" he teased as he leaned against the podium used for the hostess.

She smacked his arm. "Don't call me that. I have a name, you know."

Inuyasha smirked and leaned against the podium as he watched her fix the menu. "Yeah, but my name suits you better." He leaned closer to her. "C'mon, Kagome, one date. You know that there's something there, don't deny it. There's a spark there."

Kagome bit her lip and looked away. "I know there is, but what about the media?"

"What about them? I know ways on how to get around them. I'll protect your identity, Kagome, don't worry. I won't let them harm you with their words and slander. One date, that's all I'm asking. What do you say?"

She looked back into his intense, golden eyes and saw hope and longing in them. She was shocked. "Inuyasha, I-"

"She says 'yes'." Ayame replied as she walked past the pair, put the menus up, and headed to the kitchen.

Kagome glared at the back of her friend's head and sighed. She looked back up at him with a smile and nodded. "Yes."

A huge grin spread out on his face and he pecked Kagome's cheek. "Good. We're going tonight."

"Tonight?! That's so last minute!" she hissed.

"Too bad. Make sure you go straight home when you get off of work." He ordered and quickly dashed up the stairs to go eat.

Kagome watched him and couldn't help the smile and blush from creeping on. Her eyes widened as she quickly realized something. "I don't have anything to wear!" she whined to herself and quickly went to go find Ayame.

"Whoa, where's the fire?" the female demon asked as she expertly carried a tray towards the second level.

"Inuyasha asked me out on a date and I don't have anything to wear."

"Do you know where you're going?"

"No."  
Ayame placed the tray down on an empty table and sighed. She turned to look at the worried female girl that she considered to be one of her best friends. "Okay, Kags, here's what you're going to do. I'll ask Inuyasha where he plans to take you for your date, you continue to work down here, and when I find out, I'll put it on a piece and paper and slip it to you, okay?"

Kagome frowned. "Why do you have to write it down? Can't you just tell me?"

"No."

"Why?"

Ayame jerked her thumb to a man walking towards them. "He's why. Talk to you later."

The young girl saw Bankotsu walking towards her and tried to walk back to her podium without looking guilty. She put on a mask of coolness and hoped that he wasn't going to talk to her.

No such luck. He stopped right in front of her podium and gave her a lecherous grin. "Kagome, how are you?"

"Fine, thank you. Yourself?"

"Quite satisfied now that I've seen exactly where this place can go." He chuckled and fixed his expensive teal colored tie. "I suppose that Sango has shown you the new ad that will be gracing all the magazines and billboards?"

Kagome rolled her eyes and nodded. "Yes, she did. They look quite stunning."

"So did you, in that dress." He smirked as he leaned closer.

Jakotsu stepped in between his best friend and brother. "All right, Bankotsu, keep it in your pants. No one wants to see the shrunken up sock in a restaurant." He sniffed and crossed his arms. "You head back to your office downtown and let me run my restaurant."

"Our restaurant." He corrected with a frown.

"Sure, whatever. Get going." The flamboyant brother dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Bankotsu headed out the exit and got into his flashy, expensive car. He glanced at his brother as he drove off, feeling very irritated.

Kagome sighed and leaned against the podium. "I'm sorry, Jakotsu, but your brother gives me the creeps."

Her friend shrugged and took a passing martini from one of the waitresses. "I'll never understand how Mother put up with him. She always favored me, you know. I'm the daughter she never had. Thank god I didn't have any sisters. I'd hate to have to beat someone for the hairbrush."

The girl giggled and looked up to see Ayame walking down from the second floor. "Well?"

"He won't give." The wolf demon growled. "Stubborn mutt. No wonder he and Koga can't get along. They're both too damn stubborn."

Jakotsu looked at Kagome with interest. "Ooh, what's going on? You know what they say, honey. Secrets, secrets are no fun, you must share with everyone." He said in a sing-song tone. He took another sip of his martini and squealed. "Oh my god, Inuyasha asked you out on a date, didn't he?"

Her face quickly flared up and she shook her head. "No!"

"Denial!" he laughed. "Oh, my Kagsie is growing up." He sniffled. "The fact that she landed the city's most eligible bachelor gives you big points, too, girlfriend. So, where's he going to take you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Ayame was supposed to find out, but he's not even telling her."

"What about Sango's new beau? His manager?"

"Miroku? We could try."

Jakotsu smirked and took another drink. "And if all else fails, I'll just win him over with my charm and allure. It's very irresistible, you know." He put the empty martini glass on a passing tray and sighed. "Well, ladies, I better get back to work before the patrons think I'm just some guy who takes free drinks."

"You do that anyway." Ayame snickered.

"Quiet, you. Well, Kagsie, if I don't see you later, good luck with the date. I so want details even if it includes getting into his bed. I don't trust the measurements in that celebrity gossip magazine."

"Jakotsu!" she said with a shocked voice.

"What? I seriously doubt it's that small. I bet his ex had that printed up about him. Horrible woman." He sniffed, winked at the pair, and went back to running his restaurant.

Ayame shook her head and squeezed Kagome's hand. "It'll be fine. Just wear something nice and casual. I doubt the hanyou's going to go all out for the first date." She smiled and went to the kitchen to get the band their meals.

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Inuyasha took a sip of his water and happily took another bite of his ramen. He glanced at his friends, who were just shaking their heads at him. "What?! Just because you morons don't know how to appreciate good ramen doesn't mean you can judge me about it." He snarled and chewed some more on his noodles.

Shippo just rolled his eyes. "Calm down, Inuyasha. No one wants your stupid noodles." He cried out when he was hit in the head. "Jerk."

Koga just snickered and leaned back in his chair. "So, mutt face, I heard you and the hostess were here a few days ago modeling."

"Who told you that?" the hanyou challenged.

"Ayame was here, remember? She told me everything and how you two kissed." He leaned closer and his smirk grew wider. "She even told me about your scent towards the girl. You've got the hots for her."

Miroku nearly spit out his drink and nearly got whiplash from turning his head so hard to face his friend. "Kagome?! You have the hots for Kagome?!"

Inuyasha kicked him hard under the table and growled. "Shut up, pervert. Last thing I need is a damn scene." He turned back to face Koga. "Heh, so what if I think the girl is hot? Nothing wrong with that."

"What about that model you're looking for?" Miroku replied, rubbing his leg.

Shippo laughed. "Oh yeah! The one he bid three million bucks for and still can't find. Maybe she's not real."

"Of course she's real!" the hanyou growled, his eyes blinking red for a minute.

Ayame walked over and looked at the group. "Something wrong, boys?"

Koga shook his head. "Nothing to worry about, babe. Inuyasha's just getting upset of us teasing him. He can't find some model that posed for that Piacere piece a few weeks ago."

"Didn't Sango do that piece?" she asked and began to clear plates.

Miroku nodded. "Yes, but apparently she refuses to help our poor hanyou in his search for his mysterious model. There you go, Inuyasha. Perhaps you could go pitch that to your movie friends and star in it. It'll certainly go well with the ladies and if we find someone hot enough to play your model, we might have an MTV Movie Award on our hands." He replied and took a bite out of his chicken alfredo.

"Shut up, pervert." He snapped and finished his ramen.

Ayame watched the hanyou and smirked. She took out the check and handed it to her mate. "Let me know when you all are finished and I'll ring it up."

"Thanks, Ayame!" Shippo grinned.

She smiled and headed back downstairs, ready to gossip with Kagome. She passed by Hojo and looked around and couldn't find her. She noticed the evening hostess and grabbed the poor waiter by his collar. "Where'd Kagome go?"

"Jakotsu sent her home early. She told him she had an emergency." He explained.

The wolf demoness sighed and let go of the boy. "That worry wart. I suppose I'll wait until tomorrow to squeal with her.

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"Ooh, Sango, pick up!" Kagome snarled into her cell phone. This was her fifth attempt and gave up. She tossed it back into her purse and drove to the mansion with crazy speed. "I'm not dressing up for him, I'm not dressing up for him." She chanted and gave her keys to the 

personal valet. She quickly raced upstairs to her room and went to find something casual, but somewhat alluring.

Izayoi passed by the girl's room and stopped when she saw multiple pieces of clothes go flying in the air. She turned around and knocked on the door. "Kagome?"

The young woman stopped and turned to see her standing in the doorway. She blushed and quickly picked up the clothes that were littering the ground. "Oh, Izayoi, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!"

She smiled. "Oh no, dear, I was just passing by. May I ask what you're doing? Not packing, I hope?"

Kagome laughed and sat on the edge of her bed. "Oh no. I'm actually looking for something to wear. I have a date tonight, but I don't know where we're going, so I don't really know how to dress for it."

Izayoi smiled and hoped in her heart that her stubborn son asked the girl. "Oh, I see. So, who is the lucky guy?"

She blushed again. "Inuyasha."

The woman squealed in delight and walked to give Kagome a hug. "Oh, I'm so glad! I think you two make a wonderful pair. Now, I'm not really sure where my son goes on his dates. He rarely had any growing up and he didn't go out with Kikyo that much. She just paraded him around like a show dog. Awful woman. Never did like her."

Kagome chuckled and sighed. "I just don't want to look too horrible."

"Darling, I doubt you could. Now, let's see what you have here." Izayoi moved to her closet and looked through the different colored dresses, blouses, pants and skirts that were hanging in her huge walk-in closet. She took a peach colored off the shoulder blouse and black skirt. "There. I think that would look marvelous on you."

The young woman hugged Izayoi. "Thank you so much."

"You're very welcome. I hope your date goes well with my son. I can't wait to hear all the details." She chuckled and patted her hand. "I'll see you later, Kagome."

She watched Izayoi leave and looked at her watch. It was only five o'clock and had no idea when Inuyasha would be coming back. She decided to just go ahead and take a shower and fix her hair. That way, she could see what exactly worked with the outfit. She got up and headed to the bathroom to start getting ready.

About an hour later, Kagome sat in front of her vanity and was applying minimal makeup. She was never really into the whole dramatic look and tried to keep it simple and classy. Her onyx colored lock were placed into a loose bun, letting some of the tendrils frame her face. She wore ruby earrings in a tear drop shape along with a matching black velvet choker with a ruby in the center.

"Now, I just get to sit and wait." She groaned and went to sit on her chaise lounge and picked up the book that she and Izayoi had begun to read.

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Miroku and Inuyasha walked into the entrance of the huge mansion as they gave Inuyasha's keys to the valet.

"So? Are you going to go pick her up?" Miroku teased as he took off his suit jacket and put it on the coat rack that was used by guests.

The hanyou rolled his eyes. "No. I'm going to get changed, get her, and then we're going to go." He said and started to head towards the second floor.

"Good luck." His friend teased and also headed to the second floor, but headed towards one of the many gaming rooms that they had. "What a fun way to kill time before my beloved Sango gets home." He chuckled.

Inuyasha quickly dashed towards his bedroom, took off the red t-shirt and jeans. He changed into a darker pair of jeans and a button up red shirt with a black wife beater underneath. He combed his hair until it glowed and made sure there wasn't any hidden zit lurking on his flawless face.

"You look very handsome."

The hanyou looked in the mirror and saw his mother standing in the doorway. "I have a date tonight."

She smiled and sat on his bed. "Yes, I know. Kagome told me. She was having a hard time trying to find an outfit. You really should've told her where you're taking her tonight, Inuyasha. The poor girl nearly had a heart attack looking for something suitable."

He smirked. "We're not going out to eat at some ritzy place, Mom. In fact, we're not going anywhere."

Izayoi looked at him with confusion and smiled. "Very well, son. Try not to be up too late. I'm actually going to visit your Aunt Kaede and the both of us are going to visit Kagura. Poor dear. She doesn't get much company and her sister, Kanna, is always going somewhere new. Hardly gets a chance to sit down." She stood up and moved over to him. She fixed his 

collar and smiled. "You're going to have a wonderful time." She kissed his cheek and left his room.

Inuyasha smirked and put on some of his cologne. He took a deep breath and started walking at a casual speed to Kagome's door. He knocked on it and gulped, trying to look cool. "Wench, you in there?" he called out. His amber orbs widened slightly as he took in her appearance. He never thought she looked more beautiful.

She gazed up at him with soft, brown eyes and smiled. "Well, don't you look nice for once." She teased.

He scoffed and smirked. "You look nice for once, too." He held out his arm. "Ready to go?"

Kagome placed her hands on her hips. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, wench. Come on." He took her hand in his and dragged her to the flight of stairs that led to the third floor. "You have to close your eyes."

"Why?" she challenged.

He sighed and frowned at her. "Wench, for once, stop being so stubborn and just do what I ask."

She giggled and closed her eyes. "You could hardly call that a request, Inuyasha. You practically demanded."

The hanyou smirked, but didn't laugh at the comment. He led her up the stairs, and opened the glass door leading to the outdoor garden. He was glad to see that someone had set up a table with food on it. He called ahead to the house and asked that it be ready when he came home. He let go of her hand and moved to stand next to the table.

"Inuyasha?" she called out, a bit scared.

"I'm here, wench."

Kagome smiled. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yeah." He watched as the soft brown eyes widened in surprise and softened even more when they absorbed the surrounding. "What do you think?"

She chuckled and moved next to him. "It's pretty good for being put together at the last minute." She bent down to sniff the red and white roses that were surrounding the pair. "Very classy."

He pulled out a chair for her. "Are you hungry?"

"I am, actually. What are we having? Ramen?" she teased as she sat down.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I am. You're having lobster." He lifted the top off of the plate to reveal a very delicious looking lobster that was perfectly cooked along with different vegetables. He poured a bit of white champagne into her glass and into his. Once he was sure everything was perfect, he sat down and raised his glass. "What should we toast to?"

"The future and dealing with whatever fate has stored for us." Kagome smiled and lifted hers up.

Inuyasha shrugged and smirked. "I'll drink to that." He touched her glass to his and they began to eat.

The meal wasn't as disastrous as they thought. The pair were rather enjoying each other's company, telling stories of their past and actually learning a lot about each other. Kagome would often glance at the hanyou as he shoved ramen into his mouth and blush. He would take a peek at her while she fixed her napkin.

"So, why did you move to the city?" he asked as he took a sip of his champagne.

She laughed and shook her head. "It's stupid."

"No, tell me, wench. I want to know."

Kagome sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Okay, well, I wanted to be a screenwriter. After high school, I went to college to get a degree in screenwriting. Then, I moved here with Sango so she could open up her studio and I could get some places to take my scripts."

"Have you sold any?"

She wore a bitter smile and took a small sip of her champagne. "No, I haven't."

Inuyasha watched the girl as her mood seemed to be a little remorseful and offered to take her for a walk in the garden. "I know you've been up here with my mother before, but you really haven't seen all the flowers."

Kagome took his hand as she stood up and gave him a curious look. "There's actually more up here?"

"Dad wanted to find every type of flower that's been recorded and brought here for my mother. He wanted her to be the flower that outshined them all." He smirked as he recalled the memory.

"Aww, that's so romantic." The young woman giggled and took his arm. "All right, then, since you're such the botanist, take me to flowers I've never seen before.".

He rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop the smirk creeping onto his face. "Fine, wench. I'll take you to the ones I do know." He started walking down one path of the garden which led them to a bunch of zinnias that ranged from all different colors of the rainbow. "These are zinnias."

Kagome smirked and pointed to the little plaque next to it. "I could've guessed." She teased.

"Well, do you know what they mean?"

She looked at him curiously. "Um, plants don't mean anything."

He shook his head and took one of the yellow and red zinnias from the garden and gave it to her. "There used to be a language of flowers. If someone gave you a zinnia, it would've meant that they want to be friends." He explained and took her arm. "Come on, we got a lot more to cover."

Kagome blushed and smiled as she slowly brought the flower to her nose to inhale the sweet scent of it. She walked alongside the hanyou until he stopped in front of a group of buttercups. "All right, what do they mean?"

He took a flower from the garden and gave it to her. "These represent cheerfulness." He walked over to a group of camellias on the opposite side of the path. "These mean admiration or perfection." He told her as he handed her a pink one.

She took the flowers and started walking over to a beautiful patch of carnations. She looked at all the different colors and pointed at them. "Do the colors mean the same thing or are they different?"

The hanyou walked over to her and smiled. "The carnations are probably the most talkative of the bunch. Each color has a different meaning." He reached down and handed her a pink one. "This means that I'll never forget you."

The young woman blushed as he presented her the flower and saw a group of roses nearby. She walked over to the them with the hanyou beside her. "What about roses? Red means true love, doesn't it?"

He nodded. "Yellow often means jealousy, but can mean friendship." He pulled a pink one out and gave it to her. "Pink means perfect happiness and," He reached down and pulled a red rose and white rose out, "both of these together mean unity."

Kagome smiled as she took them and put them in her growing bouquet. "Any more you have to show me or is this the end of your flower tour?" she teased.

Amber orbs rolled around as he scoffed. "Getting tired of me already, wench?"

She shook her head with a smile. "Not at all. C'mon, let's go see what else you have up your sleeve."

He just chuckled and led her to a bunch of tulips. He pulled out a variegated one and handed it to her as he leaned back on the railing that prevented them from falling in face first into the flowers. "This means that you have beautiful eyes." He saw a patch of light purple flowers and took her to them. "This is the final one that I know."

She looked down at them and smiled. "Let me guess. They mean that the date is over and thank you for a lovely time?"

Inuyasha chuckled and shook his head. "No. Sweet peas mean thank you for a lovely time. Viscarias are flowers that ask a question."

Kagome looked up at him curiously. "What kind of question?"

His amber eyes looked down at her with warmth that wasn't often present. He took a viscaria and presented it to her without ever breaking eye contact. "Will you dance with me?"

She smiled and took the flower. "Yes."

He led them back to where they were eating and watched as she delicately placed her bouquet on her chair. He took out a remote and pressed a button, causing the whole garden to be filled with soft, jazzy kind of music.

Kagome placed her hand on his shoulder and her other in his free hand. She rested her head on his chest and heard him hum the tune as they danced. "Thank you for the date, Inuyasha. It was the best one I've had."

The hanyou grinned in triumph and kept humming the tune. He was proud of himself for not choosing to go out. Here, they were in their own world and didn't have to deal with the unwanted mess of the media or fangirls.

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Miroku jumped up when he heard a loud banging noise come from one of the rooms down the hall. "I wonder if that was my frustrated Sango." He grinned. "Perhaps she is in need of my comforting." He quickly looked in a mirror to make sure his hair wasn't too messed up and smoothed his clothing. Then, he walked down to the young photographer's room and knocked on the door.

It was ripped open by said photographer and she looked up at him in surprise. "Miroku, what are you doing here?"

He smiled and took her hands into his. "Sango, I kept thinking about you all day and was hoping that we could just relax here at home."

"Inuyasha's home, you mean?"

"It's mine, too, I'm practically family."

She sighed and smiled a bit. "Well, come in, then." She stepped back and closed the door, hoping no passing servants just saw them. She saw him looking out her huge window and stepped next to him. "Penny for your thoughts?"

The manager chuckled. "You'd need many pennies, my dear Sango." He tilted his head as he watched the sunlight. "I've met many women before, but none like you. Most of the girls who I've met just want to get closer to me for the fame or to take advantage of my friends. With this fame and power, I've never really been rejected. Then, you come along and refuse not only me, but Inuyasha."

Sango smiled and sat on the edge of her bed. "I've dealt with many celebrities who think too highly of themselves. When you're in my studio, the only boss is me."

Miroku smirked as he looked at the women, who seemed to be very tired. "Hard day at work?"

She nodded and undid the bun that was holding her hair out of her face. "Dealing with models who refuse to at least eat one meal to cover up their ribs is very frustrating." She started rubbing the back of her neck and let out a groan of pain.

He smiled and moved to sit behind her. "Here, let me." He started to massage her neck, slowly kneading out the knots that were hiding under her skin. "You're very tense, Sango."

The young woman laughed. "It's because of those damn models who think they're the best. I've only worked with one model who understands how things work at my studio." She lowered her head. "That feels really good."

"Well, before I became a manager for Inuyasha's band, I went to school to learn how to become a masseuse." He admitted with a grin. "I really should've stuck with that then having to protect Shippo from crazy girls all the time."

She laughed and leaned into the hypnotic and wonderful massage he was giving her.

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The pair up in the garden continued to sway in time to the music that was wrapping around them. The sun was setting and creating a warm, beautiful glow as they were surrounded by the beautiful flowers.

Inuyasha pulled back to stare down at Kagome, who had snuggled into his chest while they danced.

She felt his gaze and looked up at him with a smile.

He lowered his lips down to hers and gave her a soft, sweet kiss, moving his arms to enfold her into an embrace.

Kagome closed her eyes and kissed him back with the same softness, feeling a soft of warmth and glow enter her body. She couldn't understand it, but for some reason it just felt so right to her.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." A cool voice broke through.

Inuyasha pulled back from the kiss to start cursing the person who had just ruined the moment. His amber eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here, Sesshomaru?"

The older brother glanced at Kagome, who was blushing profusely. "I'm afraid the information I have is for your ears alone, Inuyasha."

The hanyou was about to protest when the girl shook her head. "No, it's okay. You two have something important to talk about and I should be getting to bed anyway. I have the morning shift at the restaurant tomorrow." She removed her arms from around him and picked up the bouquet. She gave him one mclore smile. "Thank you again for the date, Inuyasha. I'll see you later." She nodded at the older brother and quickly headed out of the garden and down the flight of stairs.

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Miroku's eyes widened slightly when he heard Sango reveal only one model who was cooperative with her. "You mean the model from your Piacere piece?"

The tired girl giggled as he kept massaging her shoulders, her sensibility quickly fading away. "Yes, that's right. We're practically like family and she understands so well."

He smirked and applied a bit more pressure, knowing that the answer was so close. "Really? Like sisters? What's her name?"

"Hmm?" she replied.

Miroku leaned his mouth down to ear to whisper in it. "What's her name, Sango?"

Her eyes opened wide as he quickly applied pressure to a spot that was so sore. "Kagome!"

--

**_Wow, I'm so glad all of you enjoyed the last chapter. I have to admit it's hard to determine if this one or chapter seven is my favorite. Yes, I am deeply sorry for leaving you at a cliff hanger , but hopefully this chapter made up for your waiting. Thank you again for so many reviews! And for those who want to illustrate, GO FOR IT! I'm so psyched that you guys want to draw scenes of our favorite pair! I'm actually heading off to work so I wanted to leave a last minute gift for you all to enjoy while I spend my eight hours at a register! Once again, hope you enjoy!_**

_**Jo Foxx**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Kagome's face flushed bright red as she opened Sango's door to see her best friend in an interesting position with the manager. "Oh my gosh, Sango! I should've knocked first." She muttered.

Sango pulled out of Miroku's grasp and was blushing just as much as her friend. "Kags! We weren't doing anything, honest."

The young man, however, cursed his unfortunate luck at being caught in an intimate act with the girl. He had been so close to finding the model's name and then Kagome rushed in and foiled his plan.

Brown eyes danced in embarrassment and amusement. "Well, I'm just going to head back to my room for the night. Goodnight, Sango. Bye, Miroku."

He gave her a charming smile. "Goodnight, Kagome." He watched as she walked out of the room and stood, motioning for the blushing woman to embrace him. "Oh, my sweet Sango, there is nothing to be so embarrassed about. We're grown adults, after all."

Her hand quickly sliced through the air and connected sharply with his cheek. Her eyes danced with heated flames and she pointed towards her door. "Get out, you pervert!" she roared and slammed the door the minute he picked himself up and ran. She leaned against it and sighed. "I so hope he's not smart enough to know I blabbed on Kags." She whined and got ready for bed, all the while wondering why the fates were punishing her.

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Inuyasha glared at his older half-brother as he stood in the garden. "What the hell are you doing here?" he snarled. "Aren't you supposed to tending to that wife of yours?"

Cold eyes watched the hanyou and kept his expression stoic. "We have a problem."

"What's with the 'we' crap?! I'm not part of the company!" he growled. He watched the older Takahashi pull out a contract and his eyes narrowed even more. "What is that?" he demanded.

Sesshomaru handed him the contract and looked towards the setting sun. "It's in regards to you, little brother. Apparently, as Vice President of the company, you are responsible for part of this legacy. Now, we are working on a gaining a new company that would benefit us greatly. Unfortunately, while they know that you are the Vice President, they also know of your rebellious behavior with your singing, acting, and relationship with that model, Kikyo."

Hearing this, the hanyou snarled. "I've ended my relationship with her." He roughly pushed the contract back into his brother's chest. "What else are you not telling me?" he growled.

"You have to marry in order for us to gain this company."

Amber eyes started to bleed red. Inuyasha had to shut his eyes to calm his inner demon and looked toward the abandoned round table that still had the meal on it. "What if I don't want to get married?"

"You lose your status."

"Big deal. I never wanted to join the company anyway."

The stoic look on his face darkened slightly and his lips curled into a frown. "If you refuse to agree to this deal, all of your inheritance will no longer be entitled to you and will go to your rival, Naraku."

Inuyasha's head snapped in Sesshomaru's direction. "What?!"

The older of the brothers glanced at the enraged hanyou and turned towards the door. "We shall discuss more of this when Father returns from his trip. After his celebration of returning home, we need to address this situation immediately." He looked into the amber eyes of Inuyasha. "It is time you took responsibility and accepted the fact that you are part of this company. It's time to stop playing around, little brother." Then, he left the garden and made his way to his car.

The hanyou gripped the table that had the dinner on it and in his fit of rage, turned it over in the beautiful surrounding of the garden. "Damn it, Sesshomaru." He whispered and left the garden, too caught up in his own little world and thoughts.

!!

Kagome woke up the next morning, groaning as the bright sunlight peaked in from the curtains. She rolled onto her side and looked at the bouquet that she and Inuyasha made from their date last night. She sighed and thought about where they were headed.

"Hey, time to get up." Sango announced as she walked into her room. She closed the door and glanced over her shoulder to see her best friend still nestled in the warm bed sheets. "Kags? What's up?"

The raven haired girl let out another sigh and sat up, leaning against the huge pillows. "Just thinking, really. I mean, last night I had the greatest date in my life with the biggest celebrity in Hollywood and I don't know where it's headed. I mean, he's someone famous and I'm not."

"So? Why are you letting that stop you?" the photographer asked as she headed towards Kagome's full length mirror. She brushed off some invisible lint from her skirt and suddenly, her eyes widened. "No. Kags, please tell me you're not thinking about him."

The girl blushed. "Sango, you know that I haven't had a real relationship since high school."

"Well, yeah, but I don't think Inuyasha is quite like old Hiten, you know. I mean, it's true that the guy was good looking and all, but he was super super weird."

"Sango!"

"What?! He was and you know it." Sango protested and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I think what you have with Inuyasha right now is a great thing and he seems pretty committed on increasing the level of intimacy."

Kagome chuckled and gave her friend a sly look. "Well, true as that may be, we'll never be on the level of intimacy that you and Miroku are on."

The young woman blushed and took one of the giant pillows and started swatting her with it. "You're so horrible!" she laughed as she hit Kagome repeatedly with the pillow. "He and I were just talking last night!"

"Sure, you were." The younger squealed as she protected herself from the pillow. "If that's what people call it now." She got of bed and raced into her luxurious bathroom. "Now, leave me in peace so I can get ready." She cried out dramatically and laughed.

Sango just smiled and put the pillow back on the bed. "Very well, Your Majesty. Hurry up, though. I have to meet with a few clients in about an hour. They told me something huge was going on and I would benefit greatly from it. If it involves a massage spa, I'm so hitting that deal on the spot." She quickly left her friend's room and went downstairs to get some well needed breakfast.

!!

Miroku sat across Inuyasha's desk and watched his best friend pace. "Well, this certainly does give you employment."

"I didn't ask for a damn wife to come with it, though!" he snarled and continued pacing behind his desk. He glanced down at the picture of the model he was still looking for and thought of Kagome. He shook his head, his eyes twitching around. "Any luck on finding that model's identity yet?"

The manager sighed and shook his head. "I almost got Sango to confess, but that's when Kagome walked in from your date, I imagine. So close." He leaned back in the chair. "I could always try again, you know."

The hanyou glanced at him. "Well?"

"I'm going to go see Sango today at work. Perhaps I can dig up some kind of information from her workers. Plus, I'm going to go pick up those pictures for the Band of Seven advertisement." He got up from the chair and fixed his royal purple silk tie. "Try to behave until then, would you?"

"Get out pervert."

Miroku smirked and left the office, headed out to his luxury car, and drove off towards Sango's studio.

Inuyasha sat down at his desk and sighed. There was too much going on and it just happened to be going on right when he was starting something with Kagome. His lips curled slightly as he remembered the date and the kiss that they shared. He let out a growl of annoyance and decided to head to his gym to clear his mind. He opened the door and nearly collided with the female plaguing his thoughts. "Kagome!"

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him. "Inuyasha! Um, I, uh-"

"Good morning." He chuckled as he watched her get all flustered. A sharp canine gleamed as he gave her a charming grin. "I thought you had left for work already, but I guess luck is on my side today."

The young girl gave him a nervous laugh and started fiddling with a lock of her hair. "Well, I'm sort of running late and all."

His nose wrinkled as he caught scent of the fear and confusion radiating off her body. "Is something bothering you, wench?"

Her brown eyes looked up into the intense, curious golden ones and she shook her head. "No. Just a lot on my mind is all." She told him with a nervous chuckle and glanced down at her watch. "Wow, I really better be going before Jakotsu throws a fit. I'll see you later, Inuyasha." She started to move past, when he gripped her wrist.

"Go out with me tonight." He commanded her.

Kagome stared at him in shock. "Excuse me?"

"After your shift tonight, call me because we are going out on another date."

She let out a snort. "Oh yeah? I don't recall ever agreeing to this second date."

Inuyasha leaned in and gave her a wicked smile. "You didn't have to agree, Kagome. Your scent tells me you want it." He kissed her quickly, let go of her wrist, and started heading to his gym. "See you tonight, wench."

Her body stayed paralyzed to the ground and she couldn't stop her cheeks from blushing like mad. She finally shook off the spell that only Inuyasha was able to cast on her and groaned as she saw the time. "Great." She got her bag and quickly headed out to her car and drove to the restaurant.

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Ayame smirked as she watched her friend practically fly into the kitchen. "About time, Kags. You're lucky Jakotsu realized he had a zit on his chin and ran to lock himself in the bathroom. He won't come out until someone brings him the right cover-up."

She sighed and pulled out the concealer from her purse. "I'll be right back then." She headed to the men's bathroom and knocked on the door.

"THAT BETTER BE SOMEONE WHO HAS THE RIGHT SHADE OR ALL OF YOU WILL BE WORKING SERIOUSLY HARD!" the owner yelled from inside the bathroom.

"Jakotsu, it's Kagome."

He opened the door and his face suddenly brightened. He hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. "Oh, Kagome! You're my life saver. Thank God that our complexions are so alike or else I would've been the talk of the town with this huge zit on my chin." He said as he pointed dramatically towards the miniscule bump.

Hojo walked by. "I don't see anything."

Ayame walked by all three and snickered. "I do. Jeez, Jakotsu, how'd you end up with Vesuvius on your face?" she teased him.

He let out a gasp of shock. "See, I told you it was so noticeable!"

Kagome frowned at Ayame, but couldn't stop the smile on her lips. She gave her boss the make-up and sighed. "I keep this just in case because I know how badly you get if you can't cover your mortal flaws."

"You should've been a man, Kagsie. Then, I would marry you in a heartbeat." He sighed and put some of the make-up on. "There we are. I feel like a new beautiful person! All right, everyone get back to work!" He started to chase some of the female workers who had stopped to gawk at his flustered appearance.

The wolf demoness chuckled and turned to her friend. "Hey, you left early yesterday before I could talk to you about what the guys were saying."

"What do you mean?" she asked as she headed towards the hostess station.

"Something about Sango's piece, some kind of auction, and something about Inuyasha-"

Jakotsu quickly appeared next to them. "What about that hunk of a god? How did the date go last night, Kagsie? You did get the info I wanted, didn't you?"

She rolled her eyes and fixed the menu. "It didn't get that far, Jakotsu."

"Sure, it didn't. You're just leaving that for yourself, you greedy shrew." He sniffed and went to go greet a group of customers. "Ayame, get those menus! I don't pay you to just stand and look normal, you know!"

The wolf demoness growled and grabbed the menus from Kagome. "He's lucky he just applied make-up on. I'd hate for the customers to see what he really looks like!" She said a bit loudly than what she meant to.

Kagome laughed and went to start her daily routine of being a hostess.

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Sango had been sitting in her chair at her office when Miroku came in. She gave him a dazed look and continued staring at a blank spot.

"Odd, usually you tell me to get off of your office." He smirked as he stood in front of her, sliding his hands into his pants pockets. When he didn't get a response, his violet eyes grew concerned. "Sango?"

"They asked me to go to Venice." She said softly.

"What? Really? You've been wanting to do a shoot in Venice!" he said with excitement. Although he hadn't known her for very long, she had told him some of her greatest desires over a meal that they had shared. "When do you go?"

The young woman smiled and looked at him. "Tomorrow." Then, she let out a sigh. "I have to call them and turn it down."

"What? Why?" he demanded, a frown quickly replacing his wide smile.

Sango stood up and placed her hands gently on her desk. "I have too many clients here that have already set scheduled appointments with me. I just can't do that to them! They were here first before the offer to Venice!" She reached for the phone and looked up when Miroku grabbed her hand.

"You're going to Venice." The manager said firmly. "Let me handle your business. The band doesn't have anything coming up, just fan mail. Inuyasha hasn't had any offers for modeling or acting, so I'm available for anything! Come on, Sango. If I can juggle three drama kings, I can at least handle a few photo shoots." He gave her a charming smile.

She bit her lip nervously and kept glancing back and forth from him to the phone. "I don't want to bother you with this, Miroku."

He smiled. "It won't be a bother at all."

Sango took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Okay, I'm going to Venice!" she said with a squeal.

"Perfect! Now, give me your plans for your upcoming projects, a contact number, any passwords to access any of the files you might have, and your promise that you will be my lady when you get back." He said casually as he watched her gather all the things that he would need.

Her back stiffened as she heard his last request. "What?"

Miroku's violet eyes dazzled with charm and mischief, but also longing. "I want you to be my girlfriend, Sango. Think about my offer on your trip, but don't give me an answer until you get back. When do you get back, by chance?"

"In three days." she said with a blush and wrote down all the information for him. "That's everything."

"Wonderful. Now, I suggest you take your cute little rear back to the mansion and start packing."

She let out an excited giggle and kissed him lightly. "Thank you so much, Miroku!" Grabbing her bag, she told all of her employees the plan and headed for her car.

He glanced down at the password she gave him for her computer and smiled. "Not at all, my dearest Sango, not at all."

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Kagome, exhausted from work, dragged her body to her room until she noticed a blur fly past her. Her brown eyes widened and she quickly made her way to Sango's room. Her jaw dropped slightly as she noticed a huge suitcase and her best friend packing. "What on earth are you doing?!"

"I'm going to Venice!" Sango squealed in delight. "Oh, have you seen my toothbrush by the way?"

"Uh, no! Why are you going to Venice?!"

She stopped and looked at the younger girl. "They're doing a photo shoot there for some big fashion company and asked me to be the lead project director! Isn't it fantastic?! Oh, what do you want me to bring you from Venice?"

"How about an extra plane ticket? I want to go!" the girl whined as she sat on the bed.

"Oh, Kags, don't be such a whiner. It's only three days! Besides, you have Inuyasha to keep you company." Sango teased as she found her toothbrush. "There it is. Okay, am I missing anything?"

"No, but Kagome is."

The two girls turned to see Inuyasha leaning in the doorway. He was wearing a black button down shirt with khaki pants and nice leather shoes.

"What?" Kagome frowned.

"We have a date. Come on." He ordered her with a small smile. "See you when you get back, Sango." He walked in, grabbed Kagome's hand and was pulling her out the door.

She smiled and waved at the pair. "Behave, you two!"

Kagome pulled her wrist out of his hand. "Where are you taking me now?" she demanded as she placed her hands on her hips. "More flowers?"

"No. Ice."

"What?" He grabbed her hand and led her to the elevator. He pressed the basement floor and pushed her gently to go out first.

Her brown eyes widened as she saw a huge ice skating rink. The ice was so pristine and looked as if no one had skated on it before. "Is there anything you don't have?"

"Bumper cars. Mom refuses to let me get them because she knows that if Miroku gets in one, he'll be flying out of the house. Stupid pervert can't make them go fast." He snickered and walked down to where two pairs of skates where lying for them. "Come on."

She blushed, walked down the stairs, and put on the skates. "Hey, these fit perfectly! How did you know my shoe size?"

He snickered. "I asked Sango." He walked to the entrance of the rink and started skating gracefully onto the ice. The hanyou turned back to her and smirked as he saw her uneasiness. "You've never skated?"

Kagome shook her head. She wobbled awkwardly to the entrance and placed one skate onto the ice, letting out a squeal of shock as it moved. "I can watch you skate first, I don't mind!" she quickly said.

He moved back to her and held out his clawed hand. "Come on, wench. It's not that hard." He teased and waited for her to put the other foot on the ice. "You big wimp." He pulled her onto the ice.

She let out a screech of shock and closed her eyes, fearing she was going to hit the cold, hard ice. Her eye opened as she realized that he grabbed her arms and she had wrapped them around his waist. She blushed and stood up, looking into his intense golden eyes.

Inuyasha chuckled and held her arms gently. "And here I thought you were falling for me." He teased and lowered his lips to her.

Kagome giggled and touched his cheek as his lips brushed against her softly, feeling his hands move from her arms to wrap around her waist.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything!" a sharp voice called out, echoing around the rink, causing the couple to look up to see the unwelcome visitor.

Kagome's eyes widened while Inuyasha's narrowed into fierce slits. He let out a deep growl and held the girl in his arms tighter, intending to shield her from the person. "Kikyo!" he snarled.

!!

Oh my god, I'm so so sorry for the delay and updating! I know some of you have probably grown impatient with me and all, but I promise not to make you wait this long. School and work does that to a gal, you know? lol. Anyway, if anyone has tried to send me private messages, for some reason they don't get to me at all and I've messaged some back but I'm not sure if anyone has gotten any

So, if you'd like to send me any suggestions or kudos or fanart :), just send it to my email:

Once again, So SO SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY!

I hope you enjoy and please review, I love hearing your feedback!


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter Ten

Kikyo stared at the couple on the ice and her eyes narrowed. "Very cute, Inuyasha. You found one of my little posers that goes around and pretends to look like me for all those stupid fans."

The hanyou snarled and held Kagome tighter. "Who let you in here?!" he demanded, his fangs gleaming from the lights.

The model pushed her straight, long black hair over her shoulder and smirked. She pulled out a golden key attached to a keychain with a heart and dog on it. "Still have the key. You gave it to me on our one year anniversary, remember?"

Kagome tried her best to ignore the bickering couple and tried to wiggle away from Inuyasha's tightening embrace. "Inuyasha!" she whispered harshly and tried to push him away.

His ears flicked around and instead of letting go, he held on.

"So, who's my temporary replacement?" Kikyo sneered.

Kagome pushed the hanyou away and glared at him. Then, she turned her brown eyes up to the model. "My name is not any of your concern. Now, what do you want?"

"**That **is none of your concern. Now, be a good little fan girl or maid or whatever you are and get lost."

The raven haired girl frowned and turned to Inuyasha. She was somewhat shocked and hurt that he didn't stand up for her. In fact, she was surprised to see that he wasn't looking at her at all. He was looking at the ground, his eyes avoiding hers. She sighed and skated slowly to the opening of the rink and took of the skates. She grabbed her own shoes and passed by the smug model.

"Well?" Inuyasha growled.

Kikyo pulled a contract out of her expensive designer tote bag. "I want my boyfriend back."

* * *

Kagome quickly left the elevator and in her rage, began to pace back and forth in front of her door. "That jerk! That slut! She's so- urgh!"

"Kagome?"

The girl froze and slowly turned around to see Izayoi holding a bunch of papers. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Something wrong, dear?"

"Oh no! Nothing at all! Just caught up in the drama of work and other things." She chuckled nervously and cleared her throat. "Oh, Izayoi, I got all the RSVPs for Inutaisho's party. A majority of the guests already said that they'd come."

The older woman smiled in delight. "How wonderful! My husband never has time to see his friends so this will be the perfect opportunity for him! He'll be so happy!"

Kagome smiled. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"

"Yes, actually." She walked over to the girl and gave her a motherly smile. "Do not worry about that horrible woman. If I know my son, I know his eyes are only set on the ones that have made him smile more than he has these past few months."

The girl blushed and smiled. "Thank you, Izayoi."

"You're welcome, my dear. Now, I'll be at a friend's house this evening. We're playing bridge and I promised my partner, Lydia, that I'd stay longer than last time. Don't wait up for me, all right?"

Kagome chuckled and nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Good." Izayoi turned and nearly bumped into Kikyo. "Oh, Kikyo, I didn't see you there. You're looking rather thinner than usual."

The model frowned. "I've gained weight, actually."

"Oh. Well, good for you, then." Izayoi sniffed and saw her son walk up behind the model. She turned towards the butler that was passing by. "Oh, Watson, dear?"

"Yes, madam?"

"Do be a dear and toss out the trash would you?" she asked as she stared at Kikyo.

The model's eyes flamed in anger and opened her mouth to retort. She closed it when the butler walked up to her and took her arm. "You can't do this!"

Izayoi smiled. "Oh, but I can. This is my house after all." She passed by the girl and stopped. "I will take that key back, however."

"Mother!" the hanyou barked at her.

She looked at him with shocked eyes. He had never taken that tone of voice with her. She saw his rigid posture and glanced at Kikyo who was smirking in triumph. "Inuyasha? What's wrong?"

He avoided eye contact with her just like he did with Kagome. "Kikyo can keep her key. Watson, please escort her back to her car, though."

Kagome and Izayoi exchanged worried looks and watched the model pull her arm out of the butler's grip and walked out of the huge mansion.

Inuyasha felt his mother touch his arm.

"What happened?"

"She gave me a contract that I had signed years ago. Band of Seven has to pull their pictures because I broke part of the contract."

The young girl looked at him in shock. "What? What do you mean?"

Izayoi sighed and looked at her with sad eyes. "That contract stated that you could only do work with her except your music, didn't it?"

His ears flattened against his head. "Yes." He slowly lifted his head and looked at Kagome. "I'm sorry."

Her brown eyes looked at him in shock and hurt. She glanced down at the carpet then cleared her throat. She should've known better than to get involved with one of the world's famous celebrities. "It's fine, Inuyasha. I'm going to head to bed and finish the arrangements for the party tomorrow night, Izayoi. Good night." She said softly to the pair and headed to her room, her heart breaking with each step she took.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome walked away and as soon as she was out of eyesight, he viciously punched a huge hole into the wall, startling his mother. He pulled his hand out and ignored yet welcomed the stinging pain.

"Inuyasha!" his mother scolded. She took her handkerchief and wrapped it around his hand. "I know you're upset about this whole mess but you have to find a way to get out of it. I know you have deep feelings for Kagome and to be honest, I'd rather have her for a daughter-in-law then that Kikyo."

Golden eyes widened slightly as they stared at the slightly older woman. "Mom, we're just dating. It's not that serious."

She smiled. "You say that now, but trust me, son. Your father was exactly the same way. I've seen the way you look at her and know that you have deep feelings for her. It may not be love now, but I can see that it will grow into it. She already seems to fallen for you." Izayoi whispered softly to her son. She kissed his cheek. "Get some rest, Inuyasha. Your father will be home tomorrow."

The hanyou nodded and walked to his room. As he passed by Kagome's door, he could hear her soft sobs and placed a hand against the door. His eyes were clenched tight and felt his heart strings tug. "I'm so sorry, Kagome." He whispered against the door and forced himself to go to his room before he messed things up even more.

* * *

Miroku glared at the computer screen and took another gulp of the strong coffee he had ordered Sango's secretary to get. "I've got her entire set of passwords, all of her projects laid in front of my eyes, and possibly every little secret that she has in here! How is it I can't manage to find out the name of one stupid model?!" he cried out in anger. "I'm going to need an expert to get this information." He pulled out his cell phone and punched in a number. "Hey, it's Miroku. I need your expertise."

Kagome woke up the next morning, looking more tired than she ever really had. Her eyes were still red and puffy and her hair was a total disaster. She glared at her reflection in the mirror as she brushed her teeth and decided to clean up for work. Once she was ready, she applied make-up and tried to hide the shadows under her eyes.

"Well, well, so you're the one keeping my wife busy." A deep voice chuckled from the doorway.

Her brown eyes widened and she quickly turned to see Inutaisho leaning against the door. She quickly jumped to her feet and kept her eyes downward. "Oh, sir! I didn't know you'd be here so early!"

The dog demon walked forth and chuckled. He placed a hand under her chin and raised her head so he looked into her eyes. "Don't be so formal with me, child. I'm Inutaisho, not sir, not anything. I'm not that old, anyway." He winked. "I can see why my son is so smitten with you. You remind me of Izayoi when I was a young pup."

"Pup?"

"Well, I'll always think of Inuyasha as a pup." The business tycoon chuckled and the shrill cry of his beeper caused him to look down. " Ah, I better head down to the dining room before my wife comes searching for me. It was nice to finally meet you, Kagome." He gave her a warm smile and left the room.

The young woman watched him leave and smiled. Her mood had brightened a little and knew that the surprise party would be a great one despite the fact that Kikyo was going to be there. She checked her watch and groaned. "Not again! How is it I'm always running late?!" She grabbed her bag and rushed down the stairs and out the door that the butler held open for her and into her car that had been pulled into the driveway.

Inuyasha watched a blur fly past him as he left the dining room and he recognized the scent. He tried to stop her but saw her jump in her car. He growled in annoyance and sat down on the steps of the grand staircase leading to the first floor of the huge mansion.

"I trust Sesshomaru talked to you while I was away."

Golden eyes glanced to his father and he nodded. "I had no idea you had agreed to a contract that required for me to marry."

Inutaisho remained calm to his son's annoyed tone. "You know my world, Inuyasha. I didn't agree completely to the requirement of the contract. In fact, I tried to get the other company to reconsider, but this is a valuable company. I can't let other buyers try to steal it from us. You have six months to find a bride and marry her in order to gain-"

He snarled and glared at his old man. "Thanks, Pops, I got the general idea."

Izayoi walked out from the dining room and glanced from her husband to her son. She let out a sigh. "Well, it looks like you've been caught up on everything, my dear. My poor Inuyasha."

The hanyou stood up, let out an angry snarl, and headed to his gym.

Inutaisho shook his head. "He's got so much on his plate." He turned to his wife. "Well, dearest, shall we go have breakfast together?"

She gave him a sweet smile and nodded. "That would be wonderful." She took his arm and walked back into the dining room.

* * *

Miroku looked up as the door to Sango's office door opened. His eyes narrowed as the bright light of the sun and lights rushed in. "Hurry up and get in here. Close the door."

"Heh, you look like crap!"

The manager glared and got out of the chair. "Quiet or I'll make sure there's a whole line of fan girls waiting for you by the time you get out of here."

Shippo paled and he sat down in the chair. "Some way to treat a friend that's helping you out."

"I'll buy you lunch later." He grumbled and left to use the restroom and clean up. After he finished, he walked back into the office and watched Shippo try to hack into the computer. "This is sad. Sango practically gives me the answer that Inuyasha needs and I'm still unable to access it."

"What was the name of the picture again?" the fox demon asked as his fingers typed all over the keyboard.

"Piacere."

Shippo dragged the mouse to a folder in the left hand corner of the computer and clicked on it. His eyes and smile grew as the file opened and suddenly dropped as a password box popped up. "Jeez, she's good."

"What do you mean?" Miroku asked, confused and tired.

"You have to type in a password in order to access the file. Heh, she probably knew you were going to try to look in here, you moron." He clicked on the hint on the bottom of the box and read it. "Do you know the name of her favorite toy as a child?"

The young man frowned. "No. Try Barbie."

He typed it in and shook his head. "Denied. What else?"

"Uh, Polly Pocket?" Miroku suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. His frown deepened as the computed denied access once more. "What toys did girls play with when they were younger?!"

The fox demon smirked and ate a piece of candy that Sango kept in the glass bowl on her desk. "Something weird is my guess."

"Doubt it. Go google all the girly toys that could work in this!" he ordered and went to go clean up somewhat in time for Sango's clients and appointments.

* * *

Jakotsu bit his lip as he watched Kagome restraining herself in the leather chair in front of Bankotsu's desk. "Really, Bankotsu, it's not Kagome's fault that Kikyo pulled the pictures! We can always ask her to shoot them with Inuyasha."

The older brother glanced at his brother before he resumed the glaring contest with the young woman in front of him. "Impossible! I will not allow that woman to pull those pictures after it's cost us so much money!" he growled. "What does your boyfriend say about this, Kagome?"

Her brown eyes flickered in annoyance. "Mr. Takahashi isn't my boyfriend, Bankotsu. We're just acquaintances. I've already read in the gossip rags that he and his girlfriend, Kikyo, are back together."

The owner of the restaurant let out a snort and lit a cigarette. "I had no idea you read the rags, Kagome." He tossed a manila folder onto the table. "I have an assignment for you and I'm sure that you'll take it unless you're ready to face the media and the scandal that will follow you quickly."

Her eyes went from glaring to confused. "What?"

"Business is booming and I got the 'ok' to put a Band of Seven in New York. I'm making you a manager there along with my brother. I can handle the one here. You two will be under my orders, of course." He explained with a smug smirk and took another drag from the cigarette.

Jakotsu's jaw dropped in shock. "Are you insane?! I was the only one that was committed to this restaurant before you came along and practically stole it from me!" he screeched. "What makes you think Kagome and I willing to go to New York?" He demanded and placed his hands on his hips.

The older brother looked at Kagome and smirked. "I heard you modeled for Piacere, Kagome."

Her brown eyes widened slightly but she kept her cool demeanor. "I may have. What of it?"

"Do you know of Inuyasha's obsession with finding out who the model is?"

Jakotsu paled. "Bankotsu, you-"

He took out a manila folder and tossed it onto the desk. "I pulled a few strings and pulled some of the plans from the whole photo shoot. What will Inuyasha think when he finds out that his mystery model is you?"

Kagome touched the folder and looked at him in horror. She knew that Inuyasha was with Kikyo now and she really didn't know what would happen when Inuyasha found out that it was her in the picture. Would he still want her? She had no idea where they really stood with each other and she knew she'd never fit in the world of celebrities and high glamour. She closed the folder and stared at the carpet. "I'll go."

Bankotsu smiled. "Well, little brother?"

"You're such a monster!" he cried out and threw his Italian shoe at him. He dashed and grabbed it before Bankotsu could do anything. He fixed himself and sighed. "Fine, I'll go."

The older brother smiled. "Then, it's settled. You'll be leaving next week." He stood up and headed towards the doorway. He stopped by Kagome and touched her shoulder. "Don't worry, Kagome, I'll come and visit you in the Big Apple." He laughed as he continued on his way out.

* * *

"Well, have you found anything?" Miroku asked as he walked back into the office and frowned as he saw Shippo drooling over the bunch of papers that were scattered on Sango's desk. "SHIPPO!"

He let out a loud snore.

The manager sighed and rubbed his temples. "You leave me no choice." He went to the door of Sango's studio and pulled in a teenage girl from the street. "Tell me, my dear, are you a fan of the Shikon band?"

The girl's jaw dropped in shock. "I AM THE BIGGEST FAN EVER!"

He smiled evilly and pulled her towards Sango's office. "Who is your favorite rock star?"

"Oh, well, that's easy! It's….OH MY GOD! SHIPPO! I LOVE YOU!" she screamed as she noticed the sleeping fox demon.

Shippo's eyes shot open and he nearly got whiplash as he noticed the savage look in the fan girl's eyes. "NOT HER!" He scrambled from the desk and started running around, trying to look for a way out except Miroku blocked the doorway. He cried out in fear as the girl continued to chase him.

Once the manager figured the young star had enough, he called for security and watched the girl be dragged out. He turned to Shippo and smiled. "Now that you're up and about, ready to get back to work?"

The fox demon growled. "I've already looked for your stupid toys!" He threw one of Sango's knick knacks at Miroku, smiled as it hit his head, and frowned when he didn't get a reaction. "Hey!" Then, he saw him looking at something at the wall and turned. "Whoa. What's that?"

"It's a Hiraikotsu." The manager explained. "Figure it be the most sane woman to have the most insane toy as a child. Type that in."

Shippo shrugged and did so. His eyes widened. "It worked!" He watched as the file began to unlock and Sango's layout for the whole Piacere piece was laid out before him. "Hey, it has all the models who worked on the picture and all! We can find the one that Inuyasha's looking for."

* * *

Inuyasha let out a soft growl as he stood in the huge ballroom as it filled with friends of his parents. He kept looking around for Kagome, knowing that her shift had ended a while ago and that she promised his mother that she'd attend.

"What are you doing?" a monotone voice asked coolly.

Amber eyes glared at the woman next to him. "None of your business, Kikyo."

She frowned and her lips curled slightly as someone approached them. "Here comes your best friend, Inuyasha."

The hanyou looked and his growls turned into loud snarls. "Naraku."

The business tycoon smirked and took a sip of his martini. "Now, now, Inuyasha, is that anyway to greet an old friend?" He mocked and smiled at Kikyo. "Looking gorgeous as ever, my dear."

Her cold eyes twinkled slightly and she smirked. "Thank you. You're looking quite handsome, Naraku. How's your business doing?"

"Splendid, actually. My company continues to grow unlike your old man's, isn't that right, Inuyasha?"

He snarled. "If you're doing so well, how is it we have more business mergers than you do? Plus, we've gone international. Can you say the same for yourself, Naraku?"

The man frowned and took another sip of his drink. His cell phone rang and he glanced at the pair, but mostly focused on Kikyo. "If you'll both excuse me." He left and headed to the corner of the room.

Kikyo smiled and linked her arm through Inuyasha's. "Didn't you miss this, Inuyasha? The big parties? The drinks, the fame, the glory, the flashes of the camera? You never would have had that again if you went with that simpleton girl your mother has a fondness of." Her eyes grew wide as he ripped his arm from her and his eyes began to glow red.

"Don't you ever talk about Kagome like that." He hissed darkly and blinked back his inner demon. "I'm getting a drink." He growled and headed to the bar. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled through his contact list until he found the right person. "Miroku!"

_"Inuyasha? Oh, that's right! Your parents are having that party tonight! Well, I'll be there soon enough with Shippo!"_

"What's that runt doing with you?"

_"He's helping me with some computer problem, that's all."_

"Fine, just hurry up and get here, pervert." He shut his phone and sighed. He took the drank from the bartender and downed it in one gulp. "I'll have another." He ordered and looked down at his phone, contemplating on whether or not to call Kagome. "Maybe she's just running late."

* * *

"What did that pain want?" Shippo snickered.

Miroku looked in Sango's mirror in the office and fixed his shirt. "The party for Inutaisho. It already started. Have you finished downloading those files yet?"

The fox demon leaned back in the chair. "Yep, they're ready to open."

"Great, let's see who this girl is." He chuckled and walked to the computer. "Do you think she's some European model?"

"Doubt it." Shippo scoffed and double clicked on the single photo of the model. "Now, I just have to get rid of the blue tint with this button." He clicked on that and his eyes widened as the blue slowly started to fade away until it was just the original shot. "Oh…my…god."

Miroku's eyes widened. "Sango was right."

"That's-" the fox demon stuttered and cried out as the door opened.

"Kagome." The manager said as he glanced at the photo and noticed the girl standing in the doorway. "I should've known." He stood up and saw her troubled look. "So, what should I tell Inuyasha?"

* * *

AN: Okay, I'm so so sorry for the long update, again, school. Can't wait for the semester to be over. I had intended to put this up for Halloween, but again, school. Not my favorite chapter, to be honest. So many things to cram and make sure make sense. However, Kagome's going to New York and Inuyasha may finally find out the the model he's been obsessed with has been living under his roof this entire time.

Plus, I was just wondering if anyone had done any fanart, I've heard from some, but didn't know if they were still interested in it. By all means, I'm all for fanart! I love seeing interpretations of my writing. I get a kick out of it :D

Again, I love reading your reviews and I hope I hear more! Sort of in a little conflict with my story, so if you have any ideas on what should happen next, I'd love to hear them! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy it!

~~~ JoFoxx


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi**

Chapter Eleven

Kagome watched in fear as Shippo continued to gawk at the picture of her wrapped in the thin blue veil that Sango had asked her to use. She closed the door to the office and placed her bag on the empty chair. "How did you get those files?"

"We finally cracked Sango's computer. She gave me the passwords for everything except for that file." Miroku complained and leaned against the wall. "You do know that Inuyasha has been obsessing over finding out who the model is, don't you?"

Her brown eyes lowered to the floor and she folded her arms across her chest. "I heard about it just recently. I thought he liked the portrait when I went to the auction, but I didn't think he was obsessed." She confessed and sighed when Shippo's jaw refused to shut. "Miroku, fix your little band kid, would you?"

The manager reached over and shut the fox demon's jaw. "Inuyasha will be happy, though. He apparently has feelings for you and you have feelings for him. You being the model is just an added bonus."

Kagome sighed. "Didn't you hear? He and Kikyo are back together."

"Kikyo?!" Shippo shouted and made a face with disgust on it. "I thought they were over and done with for good! Wasn't she with some kind of business tycoon or something?" He stood up and started fixing Sango's office from the chase he had with the fangirl.

Miroku continued to watch Kagome and frowned slightly. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"You're uneasy and won't make eye contact. What are you hiding?" he demanded.

The young woman let out a sigh. "I'm leaving for New York next week. The owner of Band of Seven is opening another one in New York and wants me and his brother, Jakotsu, to manage that one. I don't go and my identity in the Piacere piece is exposed to Inuyasha and the media, causing a scandal and probably costing Inuyasha something important."

"Important?" Miroku asked, confused.

She nodded. "Sesshomaru showed up during our first date to talk business with Inuyasha. I figured it had to be something important for the company so something like my modeling would be bad and cause so much trouble. I mean, look at me, Miroku. I don't belong in the world of celebrities and glamour. I can barely get in with my scripts for movies." Her brown eyes reflected her inner turmoil. "Inuyasha was about as close as I get there and that's fine. I've seen what it's done to people and I admire him for not caring what the rest of the world thinks of him, but I would care. I couldn't bear to be the one person that brings down his business and celebrity career."

Shippo whimpered slightly and felt uncomfortable around the girl. He could deal with females screaming his names and bawling tears, but he never really could master the concept of sympathy. "Um, maybe you should just tell him how you feel?" he suggested and continued to fix Sango's office.

Miroku watched Kagome's expression. "You really should tell him that you were the model." He fixed his suit jacket and stood up. "Because if you don't, Kagome, I gladly will. As his manager, I'm obligated to tell him things that concerns him."

She frowned at him. "How does my modeling concern him?"

"You are his obsession. He has a connection with you that was strong enough to come from a simple photo. Now, I believe the three of us are missing a party. Shall we go?" he said with a friendly smile and waited for the pair to walk out. He grabbed the portable hard drive and slid it into his pocket. "Better safe than sorry. She'll probably change the password again since I've found it."

* * *

Kikyo smirked as several women walked in and saw the image she and Inuyasha presented to them. She leaned over and placed a hand on his chest. "Isn't this great, Inuyasha? It's just like old times. You, me, and the world delivered to us on a golden platter." She let out a dark chuckle and took another sip of her champagne.

The hanyou growled softly and kept his eyes trained on the doorway, prepared to let Kikyo fall flat on her face when Kagome walked through the door. He glanced at his watch once more and was growing impatient. Her cell wasn't being answered, she didn't respond to any of his texts, and not even his mother knew where she was. "If there's anything I want delivered on a golden platter, it's your will so I can shred it to bits." He hissed dangerously in her ear.

Her cold grey eyes narrowed and she raised her nose up in the air. "Keep dreaming, puppy."

Izayoi and Inutaisho made their way over to the young couple and immediately noticed the tension between both of them. Inutaisho cleared his throat and tried his best to give the haughty model a convincing smile. "Kikyo, it is nice to see you again. How was New York?"

She smiled. "Just wonderful. Such a wonderful atmosphere with the busy streets and people. Besides, I don't mind seeing my face on every billboard in New York City!" she let out a shrill laugh that sounded like nails against a chalkboard.

All the demons and half demons groaned in pain and covered their ears. Even those who didn't have sensitive hearing placed their hands over their ears and glared at the famous model.

He cleared his throat and started retreating back towards a group of his colleagues. "Well, that's very nice. Good to see you again, Kikyo."

Her hand waved in a flirty manner and she smirked at Inuyasha. "See? Your father likes me. It's your mother who has the problem."

Golden eyes narrowed at her. "Watch what you say about my mother." He warned.

She snorted and took another sip of her drink. "That's right. I totally forgot that you're a big mama's boy."

"Kagome!"

Inuyasha turned to look at the exhausted girl who had walked in with Miroku and Shippo. He wondered why they were with her, but just seeing her made his heart flip around in his chest. He pulled away from the clingy girl and made his way through the sea of people towards her. He stopped right in front of her. "Where the hell have you been?! I've been calling and texting your phone every two minutes!"

Shippo snickered. "Someone's a bit clingy, aren't they?" He cried out in pain when the hanyou smacked him on the head. "Jerk."

Miroku shook his head. "Don't worry, Inuyasha. Kagome was helping Shippo and I with Sango's computer. We weren't able to get it start up and Kagome happened to stop by to pick up some kind of files for Sango. So, we all just decided to share a ride here." He explained smoothly while snatching a flute of champagne from one of the servers. "Looks like it has turned out to be a good party."

Kagome kept quiet during the interaction and as soon as she looked into Inuyasha's eyes, she knew she was in trouble. "What?"

"Why didn't you answer your phone?!" he growled.

She placed her hands on her hips and glared right back at him. "Excuse me?! Do you think I answer your call all the time?! I don't have unlimited texting or minutes, Mr. I-Can-Afford-Everything!" she snapped and tried to fix her frazzled hair. "Besides, I thought we came to an agreement that you'd hang out with the Ice Queen over there." She said as she motioned to Kikyo with her head.

Inuyasha smirked and leaned down to whisper in her ear while he held onto her waist. "Why? Jealous?"

Kagome's face flushed and she pushed him away, turning so he couldn't make fun of her reaction. "You wish." She quickly searched the crowd and found the woman she was looking for. "Izayoi!" She rushed over to the woman and smiled.

Miroku and Inuyasha watched as she all but ran to the crowd of women.

"Did you get the file?" the band leader asked while keeping his eyes on the young woman.

The manager nodded and felt the hard drive in his pocket. "You'll be surprised, that's for sure."

"Well, then, let's go check it out." He ordered and started to head out of the grand ballroom only to be stopped by Kikyo. "What do you want now?"

She placed her hands on her hips and frowned, causing her pale face to scrunch up. "You can't leave me here with all these demons and everything! Besides, you're my boyfriend and need to be at my side all the time!" she hissed and glared at Miroku. "What's he doing here? I thought you got rid of him."

The manager smiled, his violet eyes dancing in amusement. "No. Inuyasha gave me a bonus after that little stunt you pulled at his concert." He walked past her and glanced over his shoulder. "Next time, make sure you don't go sit in the stands with regular fans if you can't take the heat and competition." He turned back to Inuyasha. "I need to use your computer. I'll be right back."

He nodded and glared at the girl frowning at him. "What?!"

She grabbed his wrist and dragged him to a section of the ballroom that was used for dancing. She nodded towards to the DJ and pressed herself closely to Inuyasha, her eyes focusing on Kagome with the other women.

* * *

Izayoi turned at the sound of her name and her face brightened as Kagome walked over. She hugged the girl and took her hands in hers. "Oh, my dear, I was afraid you weren't going to make it. Inuyasha kept calling constantly. I was worried that you had gotten into an accident." She explained in a worried tone.

The young girl just let out a soft laugh and squeezed Izayoi's hands. "No, no, I'm here and in one piece. Just had to finish some things at work."

The older woman smiled and chuckled. "Oh my! Where are my manners? Kagome, dear, I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine. They help me with some of the charities that Inutaisho donates money to. We've been friends for years." She laughed gently as she smiled at the other older women.

A voice cleared their throat causing Izayoi and Kagome to turn.

"I do hope that you'll introduce me." A voice said calmly.

Kagome's eyes widened while the woman at her arm just chuckled.

"Oh, Kagura, you're always such the drama queen. Kagome, this is Kagura, Sesshomaru's wife. She's expecting in about a month or so and will be gracing Inutaisho and me with our first grandchild!" Izayoi announced with pride and delight. "Don't even try to stand, Kagura, we both know you'd fall on your rear."

The wind demoness tried to glare at her mother-in-law but ended up just smiling. "Fine, fine, you win. Kagome, please sit down. You look exhausted."

The young woman smiled politely and sat next to her. She couldn't tear her eyes off the huge belly that Sesshomaru's wife had. "Wow. Just a month away, huh?"

"Believe me, I wish it were here already." She said dryly as she took a sip of her tea. "So, Izayoi has told me so much about you. It's a shame we didn't met sooner."

Kagome laughed. "I haven't really been here that long. Izayoi and I ran into each other when Inuyasha was posing for a photo shoot at my friend's studio. Have you heard of her? My friend, San-"

She nodded, her red eyes gleaming in delight. "Sango. I love her work. I was actually at the auction when the Piacere picture was up for grabs. I'm a huge fan of the products and when I saw the picture, I wanted it. Had no idea that I was competing against my own brother-in-law for it." She teased.

"I was there for that." She admitted with a chuckle. "My boss was catering for the event."

"Really? Band of Seven? I love that place! Sesshomaru rarely goes because he's afraid of the owner of the place. Says he's too feminine and think he's hitting on him. Believe me, a lot of women and men quickly find him unattractive when I link my arm through his. A pregnant woman with an attractive man makes eyes go the other way."

Kagome laughed and was grateful for Kagura's company. They got along really well and spent the next few minutes talking. Her voice quickly faded when she heard a familiar song fill the room and her brown eyes were drawn to the dance floor. They widened at the sight and felt a small crack in her heart.

* * *

_**Unforgettable**_

_**That's what you are**_

Kikyo smirked in satisfaction as she glued her body to Inuyasha and kept her eyes on Kagome's shocked face. "Remember the night we first night and how this was the song we danced to?"

He growled in warning and tried to pull away from her embrace.

_**Unforgettable **_

_**Though near or far**_

_**Like a song of love that clings to me**_

_**How the thought of you does things to me**_

Kagome let out a gasp as she watched Kikyo pull Inuyasha closer and despite how much she disliked the woman, she couldn't deny that the two made a good pair. She turned her head and tried to blink back the tears from escaping.

"God, she's such a whore." Kagura hissed and took another sip of her tea.

_**Never before**_

_**Has someone been more**_

_**Unforgettable**_

_**In every way**_

_**And forevermore**_

_**That's how you'll stay**_

Kikyo smiled and grinned in triumph as she noticed her threat turn her head. She started singing in Inuyasha's ear and pressed her body into him even more. "This really does bring back old times, doesn't it, puppy?"

His golden eyes were hard as they looked at her. "Don't call me that. If anything, this brings back lots of regrets."

She just smiled with mischief and weaved her fingers through his long silver hair to rub his ears, her grin widening as she watched him close his eyes. "Does this bring back regrets?" she challenged.

* * *

Kagome's heart tore a bit more as she had turned back to watch. She cleared her throat and tried to give Kagura a convincing smile. "Please, excuse me. I have to get something really quick." She stood up and weaved her way out of the large crowd and out of the ballroom. Once she was out, she took a deep breath and rushed up the stairs. She needed fresh air and she needed it at once.

Once she reached the garden on the third floor, she let out a cry of anger and frustration that had been building up inside of her. She collapsed to her knees and took deep breaths to calm her down.

"You're lucky that we're up here and no one else can hear you." A cold voice said to her.

Her brown eyes widened and quickly looked up to see Sesshomaru sitting on a wooden bench. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize anyone was up here." She apologized quickly and got back on her feet, ready to dash back downstairs.

"Stop wasting your breath, woman. Your company doesn't bother me. I could, however, have done without your scream." He said sharply but his face remained stoic. "Is my wife still in the ballroom?"

Kagome nodded. "She was watching Inuyasha and Kikyo dance."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Not exactly the best choice for a wife, but at least he has finally learned to listen." He turned slowly to face her shocked expression. "He has told you that he is going to marry, didn't he?"

Her hair quickly covered her eyes as she turned her head to the side. "I didn't know that. I knew that they were back together. I figured it was over from the way he was acting, not a lover's quarrel." She said softly. She knew better. Why did she even set herself up like this?

The dog demon stared at the girl curiously and stood up. "You're in love with my brother, aren't you?"

Kagome looked up at him in shock and her face turned bright red. "Is it that obvious?"

"You wouldn't be welcomed in his world, you know. You don't belong in the glamour of celebrities." He said as he walked towards the entrance of the garden. He stopped before he went inside and glanced over his shoulder. "However, you would've been his link to his humanity, Ms. Higurashi. You would've been the wiser choice instead of the model." Then, he slowly went inside and made his way back down to the party.

She sighed and took some comfort in the older brother's words. "If only he could see that." She muttered under her breath and stared towards the sunset. She stayed up there for thirty more minutes to clear her mind and settle her heart. She had to keep her wits about her and come up with a good way of telling Izayoi that she would be leaving.

Once Kagome was satisfied with her imaginary plan, she headed downstairs and quickly collided into someone. She looked up and her smile widened. "Sango! What are you doing here?! You're not supposed to be back for a few days!"

The photographer laughed and hugged the girl she considered a younger sister. "We got done early. Oh my god, Kags, you so should've come with me! Venice was amazing! I got all these amazing deals on purses and leather jackets, nearly got lost in St. Mark's square three times, and had a gondola ride at night! Did you know that they shoot off fireworks at night if you ride in the gondola?"

The younger girl laughed. "Whoa! Slow down! It was great, I got that."

"Anything happen while I was away?"

Kagome frowned a bit and nodded. "A few things, I guess. Inuyasha is getting married."

"To who?"

"Kikyo. Business reasons, I think. Plus, Miroku found out that I was the model for the Piacere piece. He managed to get the password for your files." She explained as they walked to Sango's room.

The woman scoffed. "That moron. I knew I should've stored them somewhere else. Kags, I'm so sorry. I know how much you liked Inuyasha."

Kagome took another deep breath. "There's something else."

"What?"

"I'm leaving for New York at the end of this week." The girl with raven hair said as she sat down on Sango's bed. "Bankotsu is black mailing me to go with Jakotsu to run the restaurant in New York or he'll alert the media and Inuyasha about my picture."

Sango looked at her in confusion. "Kind of missing the downside here, Kagome."

"Inuyasha and Kikyo are getting married and people know about his obsession with my picture in the Piacere piece. If it gets revealed to the media, those two will be in the gossip magazines for the next year." Kagome stood up and looked out the window. "What was I thinking, Sango? Getting mixed up in a world like this? I'm a writer, not an actress. Not some kind of model, either. New York is a fresh start. At least I'll have Jakotsu to keep me sane."

Her best friend looked at her in concern. "Kags, do you want me to come with you? I can open up a studio in New York."

"No. You belong here, Sango. Besides, you still owe Miroku something." She teased and glanced down at her watch. "Oh, I think the party should be over now. I'm going to go find Izayoi and talk to her about this whole thing. I'll see you later, okay? Try to get some rest."

Sango rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, mother."

* * *

Kagome closed the door behind her as she left Sango's room and heard the chatter of people walking out of the huge mansion. She started heading downstairs and let out a squeal of surprise as a hand gripped her wrist and pulled her into a very dim room. She blinked several times to let her eyes adjust to the lack of light and her heart nearly stopped as she saw two intense golden eyes staring into her brown ones. "Inuyasha?"

He didn't say anything and merely ran his claws through her hair, gently massaging her scalp. His head descended towards her neck and he ran butterfly kisses along the length of her neck, causing her to tilt her head to the side.

Her heart was racing and her mind was clouded. She tried several times to regain her consciousness and sanity, but it had seemed to disappear for the evening. She didn't even register the fact that he had lowered her to his bed. All she knew was that she was with him and he was with her. Not with Kikyo, not with the "model", and not in his world of fame and glory and media slander. He was with her and her alone.

She watched him reach over and turn off the dim light from the lamp on his nightstand. That's when she knew she was in trouble, but she didn't care. There was always some kind of upside to getting into trouble. Wasn't there?

* * *

_**Wow, this took a while. I'd start then stop and start and stop, but finally I got it out of my system! I hope you guys enjoy this one. This one has more stuff to go by and things are getting a bit more complicated for our favorite couple, but I'm sure that they'll pull out of this! Hope you all had a wonderful Holiday and consider this my Black Friday gift to you! Granted, I had to be up at 4am to deal with customers shopping at such an ungodly hour, but I survived! Again, hope you enjoy and I can't wait to read your reviews!**_

_**Much love!**_

_**JoFoxx  
**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter Twelve

Kagome woke up and groaned as she felt a sharp poke in her back. She winced as she felt her muscles protest at her movement to get out of bed. That's when her eyes widened and goosebumps appeared on her arms as a cool breeze caressed her bare skin. 'Oh my God!' she screeched in her mind and looked down to see she was topless. She grabbed the sheet and pulled it up and lifted it up to see if she was entirely naked. She let out a sigh of relief and a loud snore caused her to stiffen once more. Her brown eyes glanced to the side to see tousled silver hair and white ears twitching every so often. Her eyes were now the size of saucers. 'No! Oh, please say we didn't!' she whimpered.

She grabbed her shirt on the floor and pulled it on, trying to be very quiet. Once she found her jeans, she pulled them on and opened the door slowly, trying her best attempt to be sneaky and as soon as she closed the door, she dashed upstairs, hoping no one would see her disheveled appearance.

"Think you could play that off?" a deep voice chuckled.

Cold grey eyes watched as the girl raced out of Inuyasha's room to hers just down the hall. She glanced at her companion and smirked. "If there's one thing I know how to do best, Naraku dear, it's knowing how to fake it. I'll see you tonight." She moved to Inuyasha's bedroom and slipped inside, taking Kagome's place.

The business rival smirked and headed back to the party where the last of the guests were finishing up and leaving. He made his way to the hosts of the party, shook their hands, and headed out, smiling to himself and knowing that the shunned brat of Inutaisho would be the downfall of his company.

"You slept with Inuyasha?!" Sango hissed as she walked into Kagome's room.

The younger girl glared at her friend and practically shut the door before she had finished walking in. "Will you shut up?!" She took a deep breath and ran her fingers through her long black hair. "It was a spur of the moment thing, okay? He pulled me into his room, we're kissing, the next thing I know is that I'm waking up with my shirt off and even though I thought my underwear was still intact, it wasn't." she hissed.

Sango's eyes widened even more. "Oh my god, Kags! Do you even remember the whole thing, though?"

Her face went red and she turned and looked away from her best friend.

"You do!"

"It was weird, okay? I mean, not weird, but I don't know!" She took another deep breath and sat on the edge of her bed, her brown eyes containing a sort of glassy look. "It was amazing and fantastic." She whispered.

Sango smiled wistfully and looked at the clock. It was past midnight. "What's Inuyasha going to say? Obviously, you can't lie because he'll notice the change in your scent and you can't pull the whole drunk card with him. Demons need a lot of alcohol for them to feel somewhat buzzed."

The girl groaned and fell backwards onto the bed. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the shrill cry of her cell phone. Her eyes narrowed at the unknown number and flipped it open to answer. "Hello?"

_"Miss Higurashi?"_

"This is she." Kagome looked up to see Sango asking who it was. She shrugged. "Who is this?"

_"My name isn't important, miss. I received orders from Bankotsu to pick you up from your location and take you to the airport."_

Kagome sat up straight and her face quickly twisted into one of shock and anger. "What do you mean? I have a week until I have to leave for New York. He said so himself."

_"I'm sorry, Miss Higurashi, but he gave me orders to tell you that a business partner of his was having some complications. So, in order to make sure that those giving him a hard time, he wants to put the new restaurant into action as soon as possible. If you would like, I can pick you up at the restaurant and take you to the airport from there."_

"I have no say in this?"

_"There's no point to quit over something like this, Miss Higurashi." _

She pulled the phone away from her face and closed her eyes to stop the tears from spilling out. After taking a deep breath, her voice was shaky and responded. "I'll be there in an hour." Then, she hung up and let her cell phone fall from her hand onto the floor.

Sango stared at her in shock. "Kags, what did you do?"

The blurry brown eyes looked up at her best friend. "I-I had to, Sango. I have to leave him or his whole life could be ruined by me. His family could be ruined by me and I can't do that to him. He doesn't deserve it." She whimpered and quickly tossed her face into the comforter, feeling her heart breaking into a million pieces.

The older girl swiftly sat on the bed next to her and tried to comfort the friend that she considered a younger sister. She held onto her and rocked her back and forth, making soothing noises and inwardly cursing Bankotsu for his heartless and cruel attempt to get into Kagome's heart.

* * *

The time passed quickly, much to Kagome's dismay. Once she had finished crying, she took a shower while Sango packed her clothes. She got dressed in a casual sweater and dark jeans and let her long, black hair air dry. She sat at her vanity, putting her valuable trinkets in a small purse. Her hands hesitated to put the rest in there, and suddenly got an idea. She grabbed a piece of paper from her desk, a pen, and started writing. Then, she put it into an envelope and sealed it, while writing on the front of the envelope.

"Kagome, it's time to go." Sango said gently, not wanting to show how upset she was. She knew that her friend was sensible in her sacrifice to Inuyasha, but didn't want her to take this extreme and become the victim to some leech of a business owner.

The younger girl nodded and stood up. She looked around her room which was so lovely and furnished with beautiful things, now looked dim and suffocating. She grabbed her purse and small bag and headed out of the room.

"I'll meet you at the car, okay?"

She smiled and watched Sango walk down the two flights of stairs, lifting the two suitcases she was bringing. She made her way slowly down to Inuyasha's room and took a deep breath. "I hope you can forgive me." She whispered and kissed the envelope before sliding it under his door. Then, she turned and headed down the two flights of stairs.

"Kagome."

She froze as she heard the soft voice and turned to see Izayoi in a soft, pale pink robe looking at her with concern and worry. "Izayoi." She whispered with a small whimper.

The older woman walked over to her. "What's wrong? Why are you up so late?"

"I-I have to leave." She said softly and refused to meet eye contact with the woman who had accepted her into her own home with open arms. "Please, it's nothing you have done or anyone has done."

"Then, why leave?"

Kagome made the mistake of looking at the woman's face and nearly broke down. "My boss is making me move to New York to run Band of Seven. He said if I don't go, he's going to smear Inuyasha's name with his obsession with the model from Sango's piece."

Her eyes widened in realization. "You're the model?"

She nodded and looked at her frantically. "Please, Izayoi, I don't want that to happen to him. I'm not worth it. I can't risk him losing his entire career. He's worked so hard to prove to the world that he's a great person that can do anything and has been accepted as a half-breed. I can't destroy everything he's worked for."

"Kagome, he won't care, trust me. He wants you." She tried to tell the girl.

"He still wants Kikyo." She replied with a frown. Her eyes glanced down at her watch and sighed. "If he asks where I've gone, just tell him New York, but please explain why he can't come after me."

Izayoi stared between her and her son's door, silently wishing he could hear them and wake up. "Darling, please think about this."

Kagome shook her head and hugged the woman. "Thank you for everything." She whispered and raced down the stairs and out of the doors to the huge mansion, not knowing if she'd ever enter the home again.

The graceful woman watched with a heavy heart as the girl she considered her future daughter-in-law race out of the house. "Oh, Inuyasha. You don't know how much that girl really loves you." Then, she turned and headed back to her own room to seek the comfort of her husband.

* * *

Sango drove them to the restaurant and kept glancing at her friend every other minute. There was an uncomfortable silence between the two and she hated it. She wanted to hear Kagome laugh and make jokes, but this was too alien, too strange. "Where are you going to be staying?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. I don't think Banktosu found a place for us to stay, to be honest. He just wants to make sure his mules are out there to plow the farm." She said with disdain. "I can't believe he's forcing Jakotus to leave, too."

"At least you'll have someone to room with you."

She nodded. "That's true." Her eyes saw the neon lit sign of the restaurant and took a deep breath. She saw the black, sleek Mercedes Benz with a driver inside waiting just down the block. She turned to Sango and paused for a moment.

"Give me the word and we'll take off. We'll go anywhere you want to." Sango said, promise filled in voice. "We'll leave Hollywood, Kags. We could go to Japan. Anywhere so you don't have to become Bankotsu's victim."

The young girl though for a moment, but as she did, flashes of a silver haired half-demon kept appearing in his mind. His smile, his laugh, his scoffs, and his ears. She knew she couldn't just do that to him. She shook her head, her coal colored locks covering part of her face from the swaying action. "No, we're too close to just turn back." Her brown eyes connected with Sango's. "Trust me, Sango."

Her friend gave her a small frown, but nodded. She drove closer to the car and parked in front of it. She watched the driver get out and popped the trunk. She glanced once more at her friend. "Are you positive?"

"Yes." Then, Kagome got out of the passenger seat and helped but her bags in the other car. Once everything had been transferred, the driver went back into the car, leaving the two girls looking at each other.

Sango looked at her friend and was upset that she was so helpless. "Kags, I can open a studio in New York. I can-"

"No."

Shocked, hurt brown eyes looked at the small young woman. "Kagome."

"Please don't make this any harder for me, Sango." She said softly and kept her eyes on the damp sidewalk. "I'll try to visit as soon as I can once I get settled in New York." She looked up and gave her a weak yet bright smile. "It'll be okay. I'll have Jakotsu to humor me until I can get rid of Bankotsu."

Sango hugged her fiercely and released a few tears that had been hiding in the corners of her eyes. "Be safe, Kagome." She whispered and kissed her cheek in a sisterly way. She let her go and watched as her friend got into the car and took off down the empty road of downtown. The photographer wrapped her arms around her body for warmth and comfort and mainly trying to hold herself together and not break down on the sidewalk.

* * *

"It's okay, Kags, it's okay." The former owner whispered as she cried into his shirt. He watched as the plane lifted into the sky and closed his eyes in anger. He hated how his brother had the power to make them leave their homes just because his business partner didn't know how to handle things.

She let out a small hiccup and looked up to see the lights of the city that she had considered her home get smaller as the plane ascended into the dark sky. "Do you think we can ever come back home?"

He rubbed her back and gave her a reassuring smile. "Just between you and me, I'm trying my hardest to get him to give me the rights to both restaurants. If he keeps playing this game, I'm going to sue his flat ass." He promised and smirked as she laughed.

"You know how to sue people?"

He scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair dramatically. "Honey, why do you think we get such nice patrons at the restaurant?" he teased. "Now, get some rest. We'll be there in a couple of hours."

Kagome nodded and rested against him as they were the only passengers in the private jet that Bankotsu had ordered them to fly in. Her eyes grew heavy from the sleep and dramatics that she had to face.

The flamboyant owner let out another sigh and turned his sights back to the fading city, unsure if they really would be able to come back.

* * *

Kikyo smirked as she looked down at the sleeping form of her on again, off again boyfriend. She wondered what drew her to him in the first place and then smiling evilly. "That's right, Inuyasha. It was your money and your insecurities that made you so easy to lure." She whispered in his ear. She quickly disrobed and almost got into bed with the snoring hanyou, but heard a noise from the door. Her form stiffened and looked over the side of the bed to see an envelope slide under the door. "Hmm, what's this?"

As she got up, Inuyasha let out a groan and shifted slightly in his sleep, then resumed snoring loudly. She crept to the door and picked up the envelope and saw Inuyasha's name written elegantly on the front. Her grey eyes flickered over to him before she slid a long, manicured nail under the seal and broke it. "Whoops." Then, she pulled the letter out and read it.

_My Dearest Inuyasha,_

_I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you this, but I was the model from the Piacere piece. I would've liked to have told you in person than having Miroku show you or having you read this letter, but I had to leave due to personal reasons. Over the past few weeks and the last two dates, I went from seeing you as a selfish, spoiled celebrity to a charming, intelligent guy. I know your concern was protecting me from the harsh, cruel world of Hollywood, but that's not important. You did protect me, but now I have to protect you. I don't know if I'll ever come back home, but if I do, wait for me to call on you. Please, Inuyasha, don't come looking for me here. I can't bear it if I can't protect you. Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me. I often have wondered at night how it happened. You'll think I'm silly and insane, but it's true. Right before I fall asleep, I wonder what made me fall in love with you. When we were doing the shoot for Band of Seven and you stood in the doorway in the suit with the cigarette or when we first met. I think deep down my soul and heart have always loved you, but I know your love still needs to be decided. I hope you the best, Inuyasha._

_Love,_

_Kagome_

Kikyo's eyes narrowed as she read the sentimental and touching note. She folded it back up and looked at the tired actor. "Isn't that sweet, Inuyasha? The peasant writer think she's in love with you." She whispered cruelly She made her way to the small fire that she started in the room. "Too bad you'll never know." Then, she tossed the letter into the fire and watched as the fire devoured that truth that would never reach Inuyasha's eyes or heart. "Oh dear, I'm so clumsy."

Another groan of protest was released from the male on his bed.

The cold model smirked and made her way back to the bed. She took off her robe, revealing that she wore nothing under and slipped under the covers, wrapping her cold limbs around the hanyou. She kissed his shoulder and a cold, harsh smile appeared on her pale face. "My poor, naïve little toy. You're going to make me rich and I'll never have to think about you or your horrible family once we get through with you." Then, she fell asleep with horrible dreams of throwing Inuyasha into the street and taking over his home with Naraku.

* * *

Golden eyes fluttered as the first rays of sunlight poured into his room. His ears flickered in direction of the crackling wood from the fireplace. He let out a yawn as he stretched and froze as he felt arms tighten around his waist. He glanced down to see coal-colored hair and a female body pressed up against him.

'What? Did I?' he thought with confusion. He tried to recall his memories from last night. He saw himself go up to his room, preparing to go meet Miroku. He heard the soft foot falls and the sweet scent of Kagome get closer. He had hid next to the door frame and pulled her in when she passed by, smirking as she let out that squeal of hers.

They had kissed, which led them to pulling off clothes, then the tangle of limbs, and skin pressed to skin. He had remembered that it was the best night he had ever spent with a woman. It didn't feel like meaningless sex. It felt like it meant something, like there was a connection. Maybe something deeper.

His claws lightly traced the arm of the woman cuddled next to him and he looked down at her white marble skin, smooth and flawless. Then, he looked further and noticed a huge black tattoo on the small of her back. His golden eyes widened, his fangs bared and let out a growl. He pushed the woman back and saw the pair of eyes flutter as they awoke. His heart sunk when he noticed they were not a warm brown, but a cold , hard grey. "Kikyo."

She smiled and looked at his attractive physique. "Morning, lover. Ready for round two?"

* * *

**_Okay, I'm so terribly sorry for leaving everyone for so long. I was having a bit of a writing crisis and just having trouble to keep going with the story. However, just coming back and reading your reviews gave me the momentum I needed. Plus, I've been working on another story on the side that isn't fanfiction, but some of my own work. If interested, please let me know. I'd like to see what you think of characters made from my own insane mind :) _**

**_So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I do apologize for it not being as long as the others, but hopefully it has enough fluff for some of us fans to enjoy. I must admit I'm a bit of a prude and couldn't bring myself to write a sex scene of our favorite pair, so I'm afraid you'll have to use your imagination! Sorry! So, once more, please read my story and let me know what you think!_**

**_Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up sooner than this one. Thank you so much, everyone! Take care!_**

_**~JoFoxx  
**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

**_Author's Note: I am back! I am so sorry to have kept you all on edge from finishing this story. Life just kind of caught up with me, but thankfully after graduating college and getting a job, I now have an opportunity to finish this story. So buckle up for the ride and the last few chapters of Picture Perfect!_**

**Chapter 13 **

Inuyasha growled once again and pushed himself out of the bed as he glared in disbelief as Kikyo lounged in his bed. "What the hell are you doing in my bed, Kikyo, and where is Kagome?" He snarled.

The model's cold grey eyes grew hard at the mention of Kagome's name. She scoffed and sat up, not at all embarrassed at being naked. She stretched her arms and a cruel smile played on the edges of her lips. "Sorry to disappoint you, lover, but she wasn't with you earlier. It was me. Don't remember? She rejected you after you tried to kiss her, but I was there to comfort you."

"Don't lie to me, Kikyo." He yelled. "I would've smelt myself all over you if we did sleep together!"

She let out a harsh chuckle. "Oh really? I doubt that. Better go take a look in the mirror, my love."

His eyes narrowed and moved to a mirror on the wall. His heart sunk as he realized what she meant. It was a new moon and he was human. He had no idea who he had slept with. Maybe it had been Kikyo all along? He had a few drinks that night, not to get him drunk. He had the tolerance of a demon, after all, but he was pretty buzzed. His heart sank and he looked back at her. His fist clenched and he grabbed his clothes, pulling them on. "I need to get some air."

Kikyo smirked and leaned against his expensive and comfortable pillows. "Take your time, lover. I'll be here waiting if you want another go after you take yourself for a late night walk." She laughed harshly and laughed even louder as he slammed the door in frustration.

Inuyasha didn't bother buttoning up the shirt as he quickly made his way to Kagome's room. He knocked on it quickly and looked at it longingly, like a puppy scratching at a door just waiting to see its' owner on the other side. "Kagome? Kagome? Are you up?"

"Inuyasha."

He turned to see his mother standing a few rooms away. "Mom, what are you doin-"

"Kagome's not in there, my dear." She said softly as she looked at her beloved child. Her heart hurt as she recalled Kagome's request. Izayoi desperately wanted to just spill the truth to him, but knew she could not betray the young woman after she had done so much for her and her family.

"Did she go out with Sango or something?" He asked, confused. He ran his hand through his raven locks and let out a growl of frustration. He hated his human nights.

Izayoi walked over to him and gripped his hands gently, like only a mother would. "Kagome's been called to New York."

He frowned even more, his brown eyes filled with confusion and a bit of fear. "What for? Like a visit or something? She's coming back, right?"

The older woman started to speak, but let out a sigh instead. Her brown eyes looked tiredly into her son's and she felt older than she had in years. "My darling, Kagome is not coming back. She was offered a spot to manage the new restaurant and she took it. She said she might have a better luck writing for Broadway rather than movies. You know that her passion was writing anyway, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stepped back from her slowly, shaking his head. He looked at his mother as if she had grown a second head. "No, no, that's not right. She wouldn't have just left in the middle of the night. Not without saying something." He quickly turned on his heel and made his way down the flight of stairs, ignoring his mother's cries.

Passing by the entrance of the grand mansion, he noticed an envelope set up on a credenza with his name in an elegant flourish. His brown eyes narrowed in confusion as he made his way over and picked it up. He ripped it open, not caring about the elegant envelope as he pulled the paper out of it.

_Inuyasha – _

_ By the time you read this letter, I will have been long gone. I'm sure you have found out that I had to go to New York and while your mother might have told you that it was for the new restaurant opening, it was really to start my career as a writer for Broadway. I realized that while staying there in your home that you were really just holding me back. I don't need to stifle my creativity by becoming your arm candy and your mother's lackey. It was fun while it lasted, Inuyasha, but it's time to grow up. Besides, there is no way I could really commit myself to a half-breed. Hope everything works out for you and that model. _

_ Kagome Higurashi _

Inuyasha didn't bother finishing the letter as it crumpled in his hand and he threw it on the ground. He wrenched the front doors open and just started running into the surrounding forest around his mansion, not caring where he was going. His breathing was heavy as his legs carried him deeper into the forest. He stopped and looked up at the horizon, noticing the sun was coming up. His brown eyes closed as his aura began to throb. As soon as he felt the warm heat of the sun, he felt all of his senses return and his eyes opened to reveal heated golden amber ones. As he took in his surroundings and everything that had happened, his eyes flashed red and he let out a loud scream of anger as he slashed down a row of trees. "**KAGOME!"**

**_Sorry to give you such a short chapter after so long, but I'm still mapping out where it's going to go from here. However, wonderful readers, if I get at least 50 reviews by tomorrow, I promise to post a new chapter tomorrow _****_AND _****_not several years from now. I give you my word as a devoted writer._**

**_Thanks again so much for your support and devotion to this story! Seeing all the reviews from these years I've been absent make me want to finish it for y'all!_**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

**Author's Note: _Hey guys! Thank you for those that left a review! I felt bad wanting 50 people to review when you guys have been waiting forever so I figured that I should just give you all the next chapter! Hope you enjoy it!_**

**Chapter 14**

**~4 years later~**

"_Breaking news from your entertainment report center, Glitz! Our favorite demon band is getting back together for a reunion concert to raise money for their favorite charity that has had to cut several volunteers due to the troublesome economy. Sources say that they'll be performing in New York City where the headquarters of the charity is located. Our faithful reporter, Angela, is at the scene waiting for the band to come out!"_

"_Thanks, Grace! You heard right, viewers, Shikon is getting back together for one night and one night early so make sure you get ready at those ticket counters! Oh. My. God. HERE THEY COME NOW! Oh, Inuyasha! Inuyasha! Could we get a few words?!"_

"_Keh!"_

"_Uh, um, well, they look like they're in a hurry! We'll see if we can get a better response from them later. Back to you, Grace! HURRY THE HELL UP, CASEY! IF WE DON'T FOLLOW THEIR CAR, WE'LL LOSE THEM!"_

"_That's all for now from Glitz! Tune in tonight to catch the rest of the interview with Angela! And –" _

Jakotsu scoffed as he turned the television off and threw the remote over the couch. "What rubbish that show is. If they wanted ratings to go up for them, they would need a better and more flamboyant reporter. Not that little twit."

Kagome walked into the living room, placing the backing of a jade earring into her ear. "Are you ranting about that show? I thought you were over the whole fact that Seacrest stole your audition for E!"

Her roommate's eye twitched at the mention of his rival as he turned and gripped the back of the couch. "He told me that Pitt and Cruise were going to be at the spa! He is a horrible, grotesque human being! I cannot wait for the day where they run out of botex and his gargoyle face is revealed to the world."

She tried to stop the smirk that appeared on her face and turned towards the kitchen.

"Mama, is Uncle Jakie ranting again?" a little voice called out as it grew closer to the living room where the adults were.

The young woman turned and smiled at her little girl who was the exact replica of her father. Her daughter's little furry ears twitched at the different sounds and her little nose wiggled a little, taking in the scents.

Jakotsu stood from the couch and scooped her up into his arms, smiling as she giggled in delight. "I was not ranting, my dear Ginny. I was merely explaining to your mother that wonderful people like your Uncle often get robbed of fabulous experiences that could make them quite rich."

Gin, known as Ginny to her loved ones, wrapped her little arms around his neck and looked to her mother. "I think Uncle Jakie would be better than the guy on American Ibol, Mama."

Kagome chuckled and walked over to the two of them. "Idol, my love. The show is called 'American Idol'. I think your Uncle Jakie would be good on the show, too. Definitely more entertaining." She held out her arms and took her daughter and placed her back on the floor. "Now, go sit at the table and I'll get you some cereal before I have to drop you off."

Ginny pouted and her ears drooped forward. "Do I have to go to pre-school today? Can't I just come to the restaurant with you?" She pleaded with her adorable golden eyes and a little pout.

"Nice try, Ginny, but the answer is 'no'. Why don't you want to go to school today?" Kagome was in the kitchen and was pouring a bowl of cereal. Her blue eyes grew concerned as she looked back at her little girl. "Is something wrong there?"

"The other kids pick on me because I look different." She whimpered as her little lip trembled and tears started to appear in her eyes. "They tease me calling me 'dog-girl' and say that I don't have a Daddy because he didn't want a dog for a daughter."

Jakotsu's face was hard as his eyes met Kagome's.

Her mother moved from the counter and went to kneel in front of her four year-old. "I want you to listen to me very closely, Gin. Those children are nothing but bullies. They are simply jealous of your ears and don't know how to accept the fact that you're special. When they call you 'dog-girl', it is nothing to be ashamed of. You should be proud of it! As for your Daddy, that part is not true. If Mommy isn't a 'dog-girl', what do you think Daddy is?"

The little girl thought for a moment before her face lit up in excitement. "A dog-boy?"

Kagome chuckled and nodded. "Yes. A dog-boy. A very strong one, too, but that is to be kept between you, me and Uncle Jakie. So, when those kids tease you about your Daddy, I want you to be the bigger girl and ignore them. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Good girl." She smiled and pressed her forehead to her daughter's. "Now, go eat and then get ready, okay?"

"Okay." Ginny grinned and went to the kitchen to get the bowl of cereal and skipping to the table to eat it.

Kagome stood and walked over to Jakotsu, talking softly so her child wouldn't hear. "I thought I had talked to that teacher about this already." She growled softly. "Ginny shouldn't have to be scared of school because children are teasing her."

"You know how children are today. Most of them are bullies at such a young age. Just goes to show you what kind of parenting is going on." He replied with a frown. "Speaking of her father, I –"

She shook her head. "No, Jakotsu. You know we still have one more year of Bankotsu's contract here. The minute that my contract is fulfilled, I am taking Ginny back to California. I don't care about the Piacere piece anymore and I should've told Inuyasha about it." She sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

"You were young, Kagome, and you were caught up in a world that was different from what you were used to. You didn't know their rules and would've been devoured if you had stayed any longer." He explained softly. Hearing the chirping alarm on his phone, he turned it off and grinned. "Well, better get the munchkin to school and I will see you at work! Someone has to go grace the New York customers with the fabulousness that is me, of course!"

Kagome let out a snort and smiled. "All right. I'll see you when we get there. Ginny, put your bowl in the sink and let's get going." She grabbed her purse and checked her phone for any messages.

With fast little feet, Gin grabbed her bag and stood next to her mother. "All set!" She giggled and waved to Jakotsu. "Bye, Uncle Jakie."

"Have a good day at school, little one!" He kissed her cheek and dashed out of the apartment and into his car.

"Listen to this, Ginny. Auntie Sango said she's going to be coming for a visit in about a week or so and is going to be bringing some stuff that your Grandma got you." She chuckled and walked out of the apartment with her little girl. The two of them got into the car and took off. Kagome's brown eyes glanced up at the sky and frowned. "Hmm, looks like it might rain today. I hope I packed an umbrella."

"Inuyasha, over here! Over here! Koga!"

"OMG, SHIPPO, I LOVE YOU!"

Miroku sighed in relief as he closed the doors on the press and fans and walked over to the band he used to manage. "They're just as bad. Perhaps even worse than when all of you were still in a band together."

Shippo sighed as he relaxed in the leather chair of the conference room. "I swear to God, that girl has no life. She's followed me even when we broke up four years ago." He groaned.

Koga snickered and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Poor you, runt. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to get close to you." He teased and looked at the man sitting in one of the chairs. "Looks like the mutt actually grew up. Must be from that wi-"

"She's not my wife." He growled as he glared at the wolf.

The fox demon frowned as he looked at his old band mate, a man he considered a brother. "What do you mean? Isn't that how you got your spot in the company?"

Inuyasha stood and walked to the window that overlooked the huge crowd of paparazzi and fans. "I spoke with the board about the six month decision and explained that was too short. I asked that they give me five years to decide if Kikyo really is a good choice to be my wife." He explained softly.

"Cutting it close, don't you think?" Koga scoffed as he stared at his former band member's back.

"I can't commit myself to her when part of me still wants Kagome."

Miroku turned towards his best friend and struggled inwardly to tell him of the secret. He had been told of how Kagome had gotten pregnant and was living here in New York City with their daughter. However, he had sworn to Sango that he would never tell Inuyasha and would leave it for Kagome to do. He was not happy with that choice. He believed that Inuyasha had every right to see his child and the fact that his best friend missed so many years of his child's life angered him.

Inuyasha's nose crinkled at the change of scent as he turned to Miroku and frowned. "What's your problem, pervert?"

Realizing that his scent would give him away, Miroku let out a laugh and scratched the back of his head. "I just realized that I forgot to tell Sango to pack my condoms."

Shippo gave him a deadpan look. "Is that why you were passed out when we picked you up on the way to the airport?"

Inuyasha turned back to look out the window, gazing at the buildings that were all over New York City. He knew that somewhere in this city was the woman who he still loved, despite what that letter had said. His plan was to come to confront her and get some kind of closure before getting with Kikyo and securing his spot in the company. He had matured over the years and had gained a merger with the music recording company that had represented his band.

Ignoring the bantering of his band mates and manager, he turned from the window and headed out the door. "I'm starving. I'm going to get something to eat while you kids keep playing." With that, he shut the door, ignoring the dropped jaws of the three men.

Kagome smiled as she greeted the customers that walked into the Band of Seven and walked them to their tables. She let out a soft sigh as she tried to stay peppy during the lunch rush. It always got so busy despite the fact that they had been open for four years. As soon as she caught a break, she stepped into the kitchen to relax.

Jakotsu passed by and smirked. "What's the matter? Getting old?"

She smirked and pointed to the corner of her eye. "I might say the same. Looks like you're developing crow's feet already. However will you catch the attention of young men if you look like you're a 40 year old man?"

He paled and grabbed one of the pans, staring at his reflection. "Why would you ever say such horrible things?!" He started pulling at his face, trying to get it to tighten. "I knew that stupid cow, Cindy Crawford's beauty supplies were nothing but cheap tricks and lies!" He cried out in anguish and left the kitchen wailing.

The young woman let out a soft laugh and pushed her bangs out of her face.

A young waiter popped his head into the kitchen. "Hey, Kagome, there's some guy on the top level requesting to see you."

Her brown eyes widened in surprised. She never really was requested for anything unless it was a small complaint about the food or if it was a business matter. She left the kitchen and jumped as she heard the loud clap of thunder as well as seeing the flash of lightning. "Great. So much for an afternoon in the park with Ginny." She sighed and made her way up the stairs.

"He's over there." The waiter pointed out as he passed her and headed back to the kitchen with the order of their patron.

She fixed her green colored dress and made her way over to the man sitting at a table in the corner. "Hello, sir, I heard you wished to see me."

Gold eyes slowly turned from the window and looked into her shocked brown ones. "Yes, I did."

_**Dun, dun, dun.**_

_**Sorry to leave you all on a cliffhanger, but this is a lot more than I expected to write tonight, lol. I hope you all enjoy it and please don't forget to review! I always look forward to reading those ^^**_

_**Btw, for those who don't know, "Gin" is Japanese for "Gold".**_

_**Also, I am working on an original story and if you're interested, let me know so I can upload it to fictionpress and you can have a look at it. **_

_**Thanks again, guys!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Inuyasha or any other characters created by Rumiko Takahashi.

_**Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! They really make me happy to be writing again. For those of you who corrected my misunderstanding of Gin's name, thank you ^^. For those of you who left reviews about not wanting to continue reading the story b/c you didn't feel like reading from the beginning and I hadn't put a recap, I'm sorry that you feel that way. Being a teacher really doesn't give me much time to write as much as I'd like, so c'est la vie. I've got wonderful readers who are more than supportive for me to continue this fanfiction. So here's the next chapter for you, everyone! I hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Kagome stared at the patron in disbelief. Her hands fisted into balls and were turning white from her intense squeezing. Her face had paled slightly as the cold, amber eyes were unfazed by her demeanor.

"Did you really think you were able to just hide anywhere in the city, Kagome?"

She let out a scoff and let go of her hands to cross them in front of her chest, her mouth set in a deep frown. "To be honest, I really did not think that you of all people would come here looking for me."

Sesshomaru's lip quivered a bit, but did not form a smile. He elegantly picked up a champagne flute and took a sip of it. "I am sure you have heard that the half-breed is in town as well as his former band-mates."

"I saw the news this morning."

He nodded and looked back at her. "How is my niece doing?"

"Cut the crap, Sesshomaru, and tell me why you wanted to see me." She demanded softly, not wanting to create a scene and possibly lose some of their customers. Any kind of scene would give Bankotsu a reason to add onto her contract rather.

The well-known, respected, and feared business man placed the champagne flute down on the table and motioned for her to take the seat across from him. He waited as she did so and looked back out towards the skyline, watching the approaching storm. "What have you heard about Inuyasha?"

Frowning, she sat back in the chair and shook her head. "Not that much, besides from the fact that he's here in town for a reunion concert with Koga, Shippo, and Miroku." Her frown started to fade as she thought about the letter she left for him in his room the night she had to leave for New York. "It's understandable that he doesn't want to talk to me. I mean, I never told him that I was the model in the Piacere piece and I tried to call several times, but lost my nerve during the second ring. He knows that I love him, right?"

Sesshomaru simply stared at her, not giving an answer.

She sighed in exasperation. "Why do I even bother telling you?"

"He's going to be married soon."

Kagome's head quickly shot up in shock and anger. "What? I thought he was married. He had to follow what the Board told him to do, didn't he?"

"The half-breed has an advantage of using his human side to appeal to a Board that is made up mostly of humans. He was granted a five year delay to make sure that Kikyo was a good choice for him."

Her mouth turned into a sneer upon hearing the model's name. "I'm sure your parents must be absolutely delighted."

Gold eyes turned cold and hard as he looked upon the woman his half-brother claimed to still love. He had been there that night four years ago when Inuyasha ran out into the night, clearly upset by something. "You should've told him that you had a pup, Kagome."

She was speechless for a moment then her eyes looked towards the floor as she hung her head in shame. "I couldn't bring such a scandal to him nor could I be a horrible mother and allow my daughter to be the prey to the paparazzi." Her tired brown eyes looked into his. "Gin needs him, but you were right. Your world would eat us alive. If they ever found out about her being Inuyasha's, she'd never last. It is my duty as a mother to protect her, even if it means that I have to give up my love for him."

The businessman stood up, looking very intimidating in his charcoal suit and blood red silk tie. He watched as she stood. "The situation you find yourself in is not what you wanted. However, you are the only one who can make it into something that you do want for you and your child." With that, he turned on his heel and started walking away.

Kagome watched his back and noticed him stop and glance over his shoulder. "Yes?"

"Kagura wanted me to let you know that she appreciates the edible lotion you sent her for her birthday last month. It has been…beneficial."

"How so?"

"She's pregnant again." Sesshomaru elegantly made his way downstairs, already having paid and leaving a generous tip to his server. He got back into his sleek, onyx black Jaguar and took off down the streets of New York City.

* * *

Miroku grumbled as he quickly walked down the streets, holding a newspaper over his head since he didn't think it would rain. He glanced down at his iPhone once more and sighed in relief as he saw the building on the corner. He pushed into the small diner and noticed the lead singer of Shikon sitting at one end of the counter, eating a bowl of ramen noodles. Walking over to him, he sat down and shook out the water in his hair, ignoring the annoyed growl from his best friend. "Out of all the places in New York, you came here to eat noodles."

"This place had good reviews. Plus, I paid some college kid a hundred bucks to get me some and convinced the cook in the back to heat it up in their microwave." Inuyasha stated with a shrug and went back to eating his noodles.

"Uh-huh." The manager watched him for a few moments, then looked out the window at the rain pouring down from the sky. "So, you seemed kind of out of it back there. Everything okay with Kikyo?"

The fork paused midway to the hanyou's mouth before lowering back to the bowl. "I'm not sure." He replied. "She is the obvious choice to marry, despite the fact that my mother doesn't approve her. Kikyo is used to the spotlight, practically devours it anytime she goes out and is confronted with the paparazzi."

"So, what's the downside?"

"I don't know if I really love her."

Miroku frowned and politely declined when a waitress asked if she could get him anything to eat or drink. He turned towards Inuyasha, his brow in confusion. "Then, why would you stay with her all these years?"

"Wouldn't you want to keep hold of a person if they were your last hope to keeping your fortune?" He snapped. His gold eyes softened and he ran a clawed hand through his hair. "Sorry, Miroku."

"You aren't still thinking about Kagome, are you?"

His fist clenched and slowly unclenched. "There are many emotions whenever I think about Kagome. Her letter that she left the night she left should make me hate her, but I-I can't." He let out a growl of frustration and brought his fist down against the counter.

Miroku gave the waitress and chef an apologetic smile. "Please don't break anything while we're here. We don't need any more attention."

The hanyou continued, not paying attention to his friend's warning. "I think I'm in love with Kagome still, but I can't get those words that she wrote out of my head. She said that I was holding her back and she couldn't commit to me because I was a half-breed. I never would have imagined that Kagome was that kind of person. Apparently, she really knew how to play me." He scoffed, his gold eyes growing hard like they had become over the past four years.

The manager listened to Inuyasha and he realized that this was the first time his friend ever revealed what had been in the letter that caused him to hold disdain for the woman who had captured his heart. "What about that model? The Piacere one?"

"C'mon, Miroku, that was four years ago. She was merely an obsession."

"Obsession? Yash, you claimed that she was possibly your mate. I don't understand how you could've have thought that by looking at a picture, though."

"You wouldn't have understood, Miroku. Kikyo may not be my actual mate, but having a wife is better than having none and being broke." He muttered and his ears went flat against his head as a crash of thunder roared throughout the city. He picked his fork back up, wrapping the noodles around it, and offering it to Miroku. "Want some?"

"Pass."

"Your loss." He ate them with a small delight.

* * *

Kagome stood out of the school with an umbrella waiting for her daughter to come out. She smiled as she saw Ginny walking out of the school, holding her teacher's hand. Waving to them, she watched as the little girl hugged her teacher and skipped to her mother. "Did you have a good day today, Ginny?"

"Yes, Mama! Guess what? I got chosen to take care of Skippy for the week!" She held up a neon pink plastic ball that held a small white hamster inside of it.

"Oh wow, baby! I guess we better stop by a pet store and make sure we have a small house for Skippy to stay in while he's visiting with us." She smiled while glaring daggers at the smirking teacher. "Here, put on your raincoat and hat so you don't get water in your ears."

Gin handed Kagome the pink hamster ball and struggled to put on the bright yellow raincoat on and then put the hat on. She didn't care much for her hat because it hurt against her delicate ears. "Mama, do we still get to go play in the park?"

"Not today, darling. The rain won't make playing too much fun." She explained and winced as another crash of thunder roared about them.

Ginny squealed in fright and grabbed onto her mother's leg.

"Ha! Ha! Dog-girl is a scaredy cat!"

She turned and saw two boys from her class sneering at her. She frowned and stuck her tongue out at them. She took the hamster ball from her and walked over to them, glancing back to her mother who was talking to another parent. She took a deep breath and stood in front of them. "I am not a scaredy cat."

"You're right! You're just a freak." One of the boys taunted and laughed.

Her little lip quivered as he called her that, but she remembered what her mother had told her that morning. "That's not true. If Ms. Dell only gives Skippy to freaks, I guess then you two are freaks, too! You guys had him last week!"

The two little boys gaped at her in shock. The bigger of them grew angry and grabbed Skippy's hamster ball from her.

"Give him back!"

"What are you going to do, dog-girl? Cry for your mommy?" he sneered.

"You're going to hurt him!"

"You know what? I don't think Ms. Dell is going to want to have you in class anymore if you are the one who lost Skippy." He gave her a mean smile and tossed the ball into the street.

"No!" Ginny took off into the street, desperate to save the class hamster.

"Ginny?" Kagome looked around for her child and her heart stopped as she saw her little girl in the street chasing the hamster ball. "Ginny!" She dropped everything she had and ran into the street after her.

The little girl grabbed the ball, holding onto it tightly. She let out a sigh and her eyes winced as she turned her head and saw bright headlights making her way towards her. She cried out as she felt someone holding her tightly to them. Even though it was raining, she knew the scent belong to her Mama.

Kagome saw the car approaching, feeling the adrenaline in her blood cause her to run faster and grab her child. She knew she didn't have a chance to make it to the other side, but at least she knew Ginny wouldn't be hurt that badly. Shielding her daughter with her body, she closed her eyes tight and heard the screech of brakes against wet asphalt and the metallic crash. Her brow furrowed as she waited for the pain, but felt a strong presence above her. Her brown eyes looked helpless as she blinked against the descending rain, marking her face as if she had been crying in desperation. She looked up, wanting to thank her savior.

"Kagome." A strained voice filled her ears, making her heart tighten at the huskiness of it.

* * *

Inuyasha and Miroku had walked out of the small diner, ready to head back to the band and get everything ready for the concert.

"Keh, I hate this rain." The hanyou grumbled and pulled his coat tighter around him.

"You just hate the fact that you get water in your ears all the time." The manager scoffed as the two of them crossed the street. They both turned when they heard a woman scream.

Inuyasha watched the woman quickly run into the street and drape her body around something. He frowned as he tried to determine what and then he noticed a car approaching her. He don't know what caused him to run out into the street, but he used his hanyou strength to knock the car away from the woman. He ignored the driver, who was swearing up a storm and made his way to the woman still curled up in the street. When she lifted her head, her brown eyes filled with desperation and helplessness, his golden eyes widened in shock as he took a step back. He couldn't believe it. The Piacere model.

"Kagome."

He watched as her brown eyes widened as she realized who had saved her. He noticed something squirm in her arms, causing her to release her strong grip. His heart stopped as a child with silver hair and gold eyes was clutching onto a neon pink ball with a white hamster inside. The child looked up at him and let out a cry of surprise as the harsh wind blew her hat off, revealing dog ears like his. "Mama, who's that?"

* * *

_**Okay, I'm gonna leave it there for now. I know, I know another cliff hanger, but I really do enjoy reading your reviews. They totally make my day during my lunch break at school :p**_

_**I'm also working on an original piece if anyone is interested in reading that. It's called "The Caidoz Chronicles". If you want to know more, please feel free to state so in your review and I'll send you a message with a link to it in FictionPress. **_

_**Thanks again, guys! Have a good weekend!**_


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